Jabulile Secondary School has made Orange Farm proud after securing second place in the Ubuntu Section of the Kay Motsepe Schools Netball Championship 2026.
The Orange Farm school delivered an impressive performance on the national stage, finishing as runners-up behind champions Idlangamabela Secondary School.
The final standings placed Jabulile second among 18 schools competing in the Ubuntu Section, with Motjedi finishing third.
The achievement is also a proud moment for Orange Farm United Sports Academy, as all the Jabulile players who represented the school at the championship are products of the local academy.
Orange Farm United Sports Academy coach Gift Gabelene said the result reflected the hard work and progress the players had shown throughout the tournament.
“I am extremely proud of the team for finishing in second place in the Kay Motsepe Foundation competition. The players showed great determination, discipline and teamwork throughout the tournament,” said Gabelene.
He added that while the team had hoped to lift the title, their runner-up finish remained an achievement worth celebrating.
“Although we would have loved to take first place, finishing second is still a great achievement and shows how much the team has grown,” he said.
For Gabelene, the tournament was also an important learning experience for the players and an opportunity to identify areas where they can continue improving.
“We have learned a lot from this experience, and we will continue working hard, improving our game and preparing ourselves to come back even stronger,” he added.
The result is especially significant for Orange Farm United Sports Academy, which has played a role in developing the players from grassroots level.
With all the Jabulile players coming through the academy, their success on the national stage highlights the value of local development structures in nurturing young sporting talent.
Although the championship trophy narrowly eluded them, Jabulile’s second-place finish represents a major achievement for the players, their school, the academy and the wider Orange Farm community.
The young netball players return home as national runners-up, having shown that talent developed on the courts of Orange Farm can compete with some of the best school teams in South Africa.
