Limpopo’s sporting talent has received national recognition, with athletes Prudence Sekgodiso, Kgothatso Montjane and Sheryl James among the nominees for the 19th Edition of the South African Sport Awards.
The nominees were announced on Wednesday by the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture as the country prepares to celebrate its leading athletes, coaches, teams and administrators. The 2026 awards comprise 19 categories.
Sekgodiso, the Limpopo-born 800m star, has been nominated in the Sportswoman of the Year category. The athlete, who grew up in Medingen Village near Tzaneen, has established herself as one of South Africa’s leading middle-distance runners.
She will be looking to add another major national accolade to a growing list of achievements after winning South Africa’s first women’s indoor world title and being named Athlete of the Year at the 2025 gsport Awards.
Wheelchair tennis star Montjane is nominated for Sportswoman of the Year with a Disability, alongside fellow athletes Sheryl James and Simoné Kruger.
Montjane is one of South Africa’s most accomplished wheelchair tennis players and has continued to make history on the international circuit. She was also recognised in the 2025 gsport Awards’ Para Sport Star category following her historic Wimbledon triumph.
James, meanwhile, brings athletics representation to the category. Her nomination alongside Montjane and Kruger highlights the growing strength of South African para-sport.
The Limpopo contingent adds to what is expected to be a highly competitive awards ceremony, with nominees drawn from across the country’s sporting landscape.
The 19th South African Sport Awards are intended to recognise excellence not only among elite athletes, but also across the broader sporting sector, including coaches, administrators, teams and other contributors to South African sport. The official awards programme lists the nominees’ dinner for 22 August 2026.
For Limpopo, the nominations of Sekgodiso, Montjane and James represent another significant moment for a province that continues to produce athletes capable of competing and succeeding at the highest level.
The three will now hope their achievements during the qualifying period are enough to earn them national honours when the winners are announced.
