Africa’s leading netball nations will converge on Nairobi, Kenya, from 19 to 26 September 2026 for eight days of continental competition, development and opportunity.
The Africa Netball Cup 2026 and Netball World Cup Sydney 2027 Qualifiers Africa will be staged at the Kasarani Indoor Arena, bringing together leading women’s and men’s national teams from across the continent.
The tournaments will serve two important objectives for African netball. Women’s teams will compete for places at the Netball World Cup Sydney 2027, while the Africa Netball Cup will provide both women and men with an opportunity to compete for continental honours.
The Netball World Cup Sydney 2027 Qualifiers Africa will feature Zimbabwe, Malawi, Namibia, Zambia, Botswana, Kenya, Tanzania and Nigeria.
Alongside the qualifiers, the Africa Netball Cup women’s competition will feature South Africa, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Namibia, Zambia, Botswana, Kenya, Tanzania and Nigeria.
Seven nations — South Africa, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Uganda, Botswana, Malawi and Eswatini — will contest the men’s Africa Netball Cup, providing another important opportunity to grow a part of the sport that is gaining greater visibility across the continent.
For players, the tournament offers more than the pursuit of a continental title. International competition provides exposure, experience and pathways for athletes while helping national federations strengthen their domestic men’s programmes.
South Africa will arrive in Nairobi as defending champions and one of the continent’s leading men’s teams.
Zimbabwe will be among the nations seeking to challenge that dominance, while host nation Kenya will have an opportunity to demonstrate the progress of its programme in front of a home crowd.
Uganda, Botswana and Malawi add further depth to the competition, while Eswatini will look to build on its development and challenge the established teams.
Their participation reflects broader investment in creating opportunities for men and boys to participate in netball and progress towards elite competition.
Regular continental competition also has an important developmental role beyond what happens on the scoreboard.
The Africa Netball Cup gives federations an opportunity to identify emerging talent, strengthen coaching and officiating structures and provide athletes with meaningful international competition.
This is particularly significant for the continued development of men’s netball, where stronger national programmes and more regular competitive opportunities can help establish pathways for future generations of players.
For the women, the stakes include the opportunity to reach the sport’s biggest international stage.
The teams contesting the Netball World Cup Sydney 2027 Qualifiers Africa will compete for the opportunity to represent the continent at the global tournament next year.
Bringing the competitions together will turn Nairobi into a continental netball hub for eight days, connecting players, coaches, officials, federations, supporters and other stakeholders from across Africa.
The combination of established continental teams and developing programmes also creates opportunities for athletes to compete against different opponents, gain international experience and increase their visibility.
For the women chasing World Cup qualification, Nairobi represents a pathway towards Sydney in 2027.
For the men, the Africa Netball Cup provides another high-level continental platform through which the visibility and competitiveness of the game can continue to grow.
When competition begins at the Kasarani Indoor Arena on 19 September, the significance will therefore extend beyond medals, rankings and qualification.
The tournaments will provide African players with greater visibility and international experience while strengthening competitive pathways and helping inspire the next generation of netballers across the continent.
