The South African wheelchair basketball team is slowly but surely reaching new international heights, with three national team stars securing professional contracts in Spain.
Ayabonga Jim and Shane Williams secured moves in Spain for BSR Mucia. Xola Yalezo signed in France for Handi Sud Basket Marseille.
The trio will join young Sphelele Dlamini on the international stage. He is currently playing in France for Club Lannion. Dlamini is a national team squad player.
Result of discipline, sacrifice, performance
These achievements are the result of years of discipline, sacrifice, and elite performance. All supported by a long-standing development ecosystem. One that’s enabled through Sasol’s 18-year partnership with Wheelchair Basketball South Africa (WBSA).
This is also a major milestone for the sport and a powerful signal of SA’s growing global presence.
“It is a proud moment for Wheelchair Basketball South Africa to see our athletes securing contracts overseas,” coach Siphamandla Gumbi told Sunday World.
“This is a clear indication that we are on the right track with our development structures. Particularly within our High-Performance Programme. We have invested significantly in capacitating our athletes, coaches, managers, and technical officials.
“The support from Sasol as a sponsor has played a crucial role in elevating our standards and creating international exposure opportunities. These European contracts not only validate the hard work being done locally. They also open doors for future generations of players to believe that competing at the highest level is possible,” he added.
Inspiring emerging talent
The three athletes played a central role in strengthening SA’s wheelchair basketball footprint. This they did through national team representation, leadership, and consistently high standards of play.
Their international progression not only elevates the profile of the sport locally. It also inspires emerging talent and positions SA as a respected force in global wheelchair basketball.
Reflecting on the athletes’ achievements, Nozipho Mlambo, Senior Manager, Group Brand and Sponsorships at Sasol, said: “We are incredibly proud to see our athletes pushing boundaries and living the impossible on international stages.
“Their journeys demonstrate what can be achieved when talent is matched with opportunity, support, and determination. At Sasol, our commitment goes beyond sponsorship. It’s about enabling inclusion and fuelling potential in a way that creates lasting impact.”
Another shining star
That same spirit of possibility is reflected in the journey of Michelle Moganedi. She is captain of the SA Women’s Wheelchair Basketball Team.
Introduced to the sport during rehabilitation following an accident, Moganedi has gone on to represent South Africa internationally. She also leads the national team and completed a degree in extraction metallurgy through Sasol’s bursary programme. And she is now building her professional career at Sasol through a learnership in information management.
