As she prepares to lead Netball Proteas at home World Cup, Bongi Msomi remembers how far she has come

She is the poster girl of the 2023 Netball World Cup on home soil, but it has not always been like this for inspirational Proteas captain Bongiwe Msomi. 

Msomi, 35, will lead the Spar Proteas at the tournament that starts today at the Cape Town International Convention Centre , a moment that was beyond her wildest dreams as a youngster growing up in Hammersdale. 

As the Proteas prepared to open their World Cup campaign against Wales, Msomi went on a trip down memory lane to reflect on her early and modest days in KwaZulu-Natal that shaped her. 

From a young age, Msomi had the ambition of becoming a superstar netball player but circumstances of poverty and little hope made it look like her dreams were farfetched. 

Despite insurmountable odds stacked against her, she kept faith and fast forward to 2023 she is living the dream of playing in her fourth World Cup. 

“I always say to my mom when I look at the pictures it was better for me compared to what it was like for her,” she said. 

“I say to myself "did she really have to go through that much in her life'? I remember walking to get water with a bucket on my head for us to drink at home and we went to the bushes to collect wood to make fires for cooking food.  

“That is something I am not ashamed of. I go home now and if we don’t have electricity we fall back on those methods because it is who we are.” 

Msomi admitted she never knew about the world of opportunities as a young girl. 

“Before I started playing netball and traveling locally and overseas, I never thought there were any of those things because all I saw and knew was what was around me and my community. 

“What was around me seemed like it was the only life but the beauty of sport is that it shows you what is in front of you is not the only thing. I know we had challenges at home and I remember telling my mom we are travelling to national championships and I didn't have shoes. 

“She would ask me what I was going to do and in my head I would say I was hoping she was going to buy me the shoes. Thinking about it, she used to make about R300 a week and there were eight of us at home. 

“Why would she take all that money and buy shoes for me, knowing very well that netball doesn’t have money. I would go and play that week and what were they supposed to eat at home? 

“To think about all those things, having to get training shoes and socks, you take that for granted. Now you can easily get those things because I am sponsored and we didn’t have that before. 

“It takes a lot of discipline because there are so many things that happen along the way where you can say do I really want to do this because you don’t really see much of what is coming towards you.

“You only see much of what you are giving in terms of your time, training, taking time from school and it all just seems too much and you are not getting anything out of it.” 

As she looked ahead to the tournament, Msomi said she is privileged to lead the team. 

“Every time I lead the side it feels like it is new, it doesn’t feel like I have been doing it for years. Realising that it is from 2016 that I have been captain, I don’t take it for granted because it is not just handed over to you. 

“I am grateful and probably what I am doing is good enough because I constantly come back to lead the side. I am aware of the fact that I am not just leading the young players or a group that doesn’t know what they are doing. 

“There are many leaders in that group and we fit in vey well, we know when to delegate what and to who, and how do we want people to fit into our system and not feel like they are passengers. 

“We want people to feel like they play a role and that also help us in working well together, but I have been really honoured and privileged. I am looking forward to the World Cup and I know it is not just another tournament. 

“Not everyone gets to be part of the World Cup and it is happening at home.” 

If she leads the Proteas to the top of the world, Msomi will definitely remember those challenging early days in Hammersdale that shaped her career because she has gone a long way.