Women still remain underrepresented in all sports in the country.

 South Africa’s women in sport and sportswomen, have for decades, been given the crumbs of sport administration, funding and sponsorship and media allocation by those who control the sport industry and all its mechanics of operation. SA’s sportswomen have complained and spoken out against gender inequalities and discrimination. However, the voices are too few and too soft.

South Africa fancies itself to be passionate about sports and over the past two decades has launched a series of initiatives to promote women’s participation.But it doesn’t have a great deal to show for it.The best example is at professional levels where the nation’s main sports, cricket, rugby and football, have yet to consider establishing domestic leagues for women.

Men have always dominated the sports media realm, be it on the back page of daily newspapers or yelled at on our television screens every weekend as we sip on beverages in the comfort of our living rooms. The average South African sports lover will easily be able to rattle off the names of several national sporting team captains with relative ease — provided these players are men.

 

In South Africa, part of the problem is the pathway to participation. In rugby, a study found that there was "no consistent participation in women’s rugby in SA across all the provincial unions" with only 20% of unions having young girls participates in the sport. The South African Women’s Sevens team recently defending their CAR title by going unbeaten. They have done this despite little being done to introduce young girls to rugby.

South Africa is lagging behind massively when it comes to supporting its female athletes – both as individuals and as teams.

 However, patience is the key. The country is, of course, just 20 years old in its democracy. With little steps through role models – the Sevens team, the cricket team, the hockey team and other individual athletes, mind-sets will slowly start to shift. Although it might be tough, there is no better time to be a female athlete in South Africa than the present. The opportunity exists to be trailblazers and to change the face of female sports for future generations, and that’s quite something.

 

South Africa is blessed with a lot of talented female sport anchors from the likes of Mpho Maboi,Lebo Motsoeli,Kaas Naido,Vaylen  Kirtley  , Carol Tshabalal.And Lindiwe Dube

It is clear that determined female sport reporters like Naidoo, Smit and Mabio have been pushing the boundaries in broadcasting and have undoubtedly helped path the way for future female broadcasters. It is important that future female broadcasters follow these examples that have been set and work hard on gaining knowledge and credibility in the industry.

 Kass Naidoo accomplished her dream and in 2003 became South Africa’s first female commentator when she hosted the ICC Cricket World Cup for SABC. The road to success for Naidoo was not an easy one as she practised as a journalist in print, radio and television for 11 years before her big break.

While a pretty face might get you noticed at first, your skill and hard work is what will make you successful in broadcasting. People appreciate good talent, and there is nothing more appealing than a woman who is knowledgeable about sport.Sport broadcasting is still largely male dominated but women are fast making inroads. There are a host of credible women who have entered the industry over the past few years and are making a name for themselves on the international stage.