South Africa have named a youthful 12-player squad for the 2026 Africa Women’s 7s Championship in Nairobi with Vianca Boer appointed captain as the Springbok Women’s Sevens ‘A’ prepare to face Zambia, Zimbabwe and Rwanda in Pool A.
The tournament, scheduled for November 7 and 8 at the RFUEA Grounds, will bring together some of the continent’s top women’s rugby sevens teams, with a place in the World Rugby HSBC SVNS 3 series up for grabs.
Head coach Cecil Afrika has opted for a relatively inexperienced group, using the continental championship as an opportunity to expose emerging players to international competition as South Africa continues preparations for the 2027 season.
South Africa will not be vying for the available SVNS 3 qualification spot, having already secured their place in the HSBC SVNS 2 series, which begins in January 2027. Their participation in Nairobi will therefore provide valuable international exposure for a group of promising players.
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Boer is among four players in the squad with previous HSBC SVNS experience. She will be joined by Jané Mulder, Shanidiné Bezuidenhout and Owami Mohuli, who were part of the South African side that secured qualification for the HSBC SVNS World Championship series last season.
Their experience is expected to be important in guiding the younger members of the squad, several of whom have previously represented South Africa at junior level.
Haylee Hardneck, Siphumelele Mdlalose and Tereské Kabuika-Ilunga are among the players who featured against the United States U20 side earlier this season. Lilitha Vakalisa also brings international age-grade experience, having represented the SA U20 team in 2023 and 2024.
The squad further includes Isabella Nel and Kiera Bowker, who have switched from other sporting disciplines to rugby. Nel previously played hockey, while Bowker has experience in water polo and mountain biking.
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The Africa Women’s 7s defending Champions South Africa 🇿🇦 have arrived Safely in Kenya. They are in Pool A together with Zambia,Zimbabwe and Rwanda. https://t.co/6UbCkDKIzS— Kenya Rugby (@OfficialKRU) November 5, 2026
Another interesting inclusion is Voice Ndou, who returns to the South African national setup after previously representing Zimbabwe’s Lady Cheetahs. The Western Province winger had earlier featured for the SA Students Sevens before switching allegiance to Zimbabwe and subsequently sitting out the required period to become eligible to represent South Africa again.
Afrika admitted that selecting the final squad was not an easy exercise but congratulated the players who earned the opportunity to represent their country in Kenya.
“The final selection of this squad was not easy, so congratulations to those who were selected to represent us in Kenya,” Afrika said.
He explained that the decision to select a younger group was part of South Africa’s long-term development strategy, giving upcoming players an opportunity to experience the demands of international rugby.
“We opted for a younger group of players and will use this opportunity to develop them and expose them to an international tournament where they will be tested in many ways. This is part of our pathway plan,” he added.
The coach also emphasised that selection was not based on talent alone, with discipline, commitment, attitude and performances during training playing an important role.
Despite taking a developmental squad to Nairobi, Afrika insisted that South Africa would still be targeting positive results.
“We are not going there to lose, we want to deliver performances that will make us proud and successful at the same time,” he stated.
The Springbok Women’s Sevens ‘A’ will now turn their attention to the Pool A assignments against Zambia, Zimbabwe and Rwanda as they seek to make their mark in Nairobi.
South Africa Women’s Sevens ‘A’ Squad for 2026 Africa Women’s 7s
- Shanidiné Bezuidenhout (Western Province)
- Jané Mulder (Blue Bulls)
- Owami Mohuli (Free State)
- Voice Ndou (Western Province)
- Vianca Boer (Captain, SA Rugby contracted)
- Isabella Nel (Western Province)
- Haylee Hardneck (Boland)
- Kiera Bowker (Western Province)
- Lilitha Vakalisa (Border)
- Siphumelele Mdlalose (Golden Lions)
- Marli George (Western Province)
- Tereské Kabuika-Ilunga (Boland)
Technical Bench
- Head Coach: Cecil Afrika
- Strength and Conditioning Coach: Obakeng Molopyane
- Physiotherapist: Reagan Cele
- Team Manager: Thandiswa Nxomani