There’s a mysterious way in which blessings are handed down by the Almighty. Success, as everyone knows, is never easy to find — but what’s crueller is when it slips away just when your fingers are about to close around it. It’s like taking the glass of water away from the parched, leaving their thirst lingering a little longer. South Africa wouldn’t disagree.

For the Proteas Women, heartbreak has become an all-too-familiar companion. Three ICC tournaments, three finals, three times so close to glory — only for it to dissolve at the doorstep of destiny. Their latest wound came in Navi Mumbai, a 52-run defeat to India that felt like life serving a feast and then snatching the plate away before a bite could be taken.

The ache runs deeper each time. Yet, giving up has never been their way. The Proteas understand that this is their baptism of fire - a fire that tests patience, tempers resilience, and forges character. Success may still elude them, but somehow, you can sense it - they’re walking through the fire toward something greater.

THE INSPIRATION
The Proteas Women don’t have to look far for inspiration — it lives within their own land, in the story of their brothers in green and gold. The South African men’s team once knew this same ache all too well. After their Champions Trophy triumph in 1998, they walked a long and lonely road, stumbling at the edge of greatness time and again. Semi-finals slipped through their fingers, and with each heartbreak, the world branded them with the cruellest word in sport — chokers.

It wasn’t for lack of brilliance. They had giants among them — Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers, Gary Kirsten, Allan Donald — men who carried elegance, power, and pride in equal measure. Yet, even they couldn’t shake off the weight of destiny’s denial.

But fate finally softened its stance. In 2024, the men reached the T20 World Cup final, their dream still just out of reach as India staged a dramatic heist. That loss, however, lit a fire that refused to die. A year later, in 2025, they conquered the unthinkable — defeating the mighty Australians to lift the World Test Championship, ending a 27-year wait for an ICC title.

And so, the women’s team need not despair. Their story is still being written — and perhaps, unlike the men, they won’t have to wait decades for their day in the sun.

THE INCREASE IN DEPTH
If you followed South Africa Women’s World Cup campaign closely, you’d have noticed something remarkable — a batter of Nadine de Klerk’s calibre walking in at No. 9. Yes, the same De Klerk who, with nerves of steel, finished off thrillers against India and Bangladesh in the league stage with match-winning sixes. That alone says something about where this team is headed.

For years, teams like Australia and England have been hailed for their batting and bowling depth. But now, the Proteas are quietly, steadily crafting a depth of their own — built not on reputation, but on belief.

And this belief runs deep. Remember, the Proteas were runners-up in the U19 Women’s T20 World Cup earlier this year. The next generation — names like Seshnie Naidu, Kayla Reyneke, and Jemma Botha — are already knocking on the senior team’s door, hungry to make their mark.

Give it a couple of years, and South Africa might just boast one of the most balanced, fearless squads in the world — not just a team of eleven, but a family of fighters ready to rise together.

WOLVAARDT THE MEDITATOR
Laura Wolvaardt is among the calmest souls in the women’s game — a picture of serenity amid chaos. South Africa is truly blessed to have a leader of her calibre. When Wolvaardt bats, it feels as though someone is meditating in motion — every stroke deliberate, every pause poetic, every shot a whisper of grace.

She isn’t as flamboyant as Alyssa Healy, as forceful as Harmanpreet Kaur, or as commanding as Nat Sciver-Brunt, but when her cover drive flows through the off-side, time seems to stand still.

It was Wolvaardt’s composure — her quiet command with the bat and her unflinching leadership — that guided South Africa all the way to the final. They may have fallen short on the night, but the world saw what’s taking shape — a team growing in strength, spirit, and belief.

For long, South Africa has been seen as an outsider when names like Australia and England dominate conversations. But perhaps, that’s about to change. With the T20 World Cup looming next year and the grand final set at Lord’s, the Proteas can dare to dream — to picture themselves on that iconic balcony, silverware in hand, sunlight on their faces, and history finally smiling upon them.