Seen Here: Nellie Makhathini, Provincial Manager of the Gauteng Schools Netball Committee under South African Schools Netball, believes her greatest legacy lies in developing others—equipping teachers and coaches with the confidence and skills to inspire young players both on and off the court. Photo Credit: Supplied
GAUTENG – At 72, Nellie Makhathini is showing that a passion for sport, education and developing people does not have an expiry date.
With more than five decades dedicated to teaching and netball, Makhathini continues to make a lasting contribution to grassroots sport through the PEP mini Netball programme, where her focus has shifted from simply developing players to empowering the teachers and coaches who nurture them.
As the Provincial Manager of the Gauteng Schools Netball CommitteeunderSouth African Schools Netball (SASN), Makhathini has become a respected mentor whose greatest reward is seeing others take what they have learnt and use it to create opportunities for the next generation.
A journey that began at 19
Makhathini’s journey began when she started her teaching career at just 19 years old. It was through education that she discovered netball and developed a passion that would ultimately become a defining part of her life.
Over the years, her involvement in the sport grew, taking her into various leadership roles within SASN.
These included serving as Provincial Convener of Special Projects, Convener of Umpires and Deputy Provincial Convener, a position she held for more than a decade.
While these roles allowed her to contribute to the development and administration of netball, Makhathini gradually discovered that her greatest influence lay in developing the people behind the players.
Her philosophy is simple: equip one teacher with the right knowledge and that knowledge can reach dozens, even hundreds, of children.
Seen Here: At 72, veteran netball mentor Nellie Makhathini continues to pass on more than five decades of knowledge and experience, empowering teachers and coaches through the PEP mini Netball programme and helping shape the next generation of South African players. Photo Credit: Supplied
Creating a ripple effect through coaching
Today, Makhathini continues to volunteer her time and expertise through PEP mini Netball, presenting beginner coaching courses to teachers and helping them acquire the practical skills and confidence required to introduce young children to the sport.
For her, the real measure of a successful coaching course is not what happens in the classroom, but what happens when the teachers return to their schools.
“When they succeed, I know the knowledge has been passed on, and that is the legacy I want to leave behind,” she says.
It is this multiplier effect that has kept Makhathini committed to grassroots development.
Rather than measuring her contribution by trophies or personal recognition, she measures it through the growth of the coaches she has mentored and the confidence of the young players they subsequently develop.
More than just a game
Makhathini believes the importance of netball extends well beyond the boundaries of the court.
For young players, participation in the sport can provide an environment in which they develop discipline, teamwork, leadership and resilience while gaining confidence in their abilities.
It can also create opportunities for children to discover talents they may not otherwise have had the chance to explore.
Her contribution therefore extends beyond technical coaching. By helping teachers become better coaches, she is helping create environments in which young players can develop both as athletes and as individuals.
A legacy built through people
Despite stepping away from formal leadership positions to make room for younger leaders, Makhathini has never stepped away from netball.
Instead, she continues travelling across Gauteng, volunteering her knowledge and supporting coaching and grassroots development.
Her approach reflects an understanding that sustainable sporting development depends on creating a strong pipeline of knowledgeable coaches and mentors.
“My greatest reward is seeing the teachers and coaches I have mentored grow and use what they have learnt to make a difference in the lives of young players,” she says.
“When they succeed, I know the knowledge has been passed on, and that is the legacy I want to leave behind.”
Investing in tomorrow’s champions
As she looks to the future, Makhathini remains committed to sharing the lessons and experience accumulated over more than 50 years in the sport.
Her belief is that South African netball’s future will be strengthened when today’s educators and coaches are equipped to develop tomorrow’s players.
It is a philosophy that makes her contribution to PEP mini Netball particularly significant. While the programme introduces young children to the fundamentals and joy of netball, mentors such as Makhathini help ensure that the adults guiding those children are equally prepared.
At a time when sport increasingly focuses on performance and results, Makhathini’s story offers a powerful reminder that some of the most important victories happen away from the scoreboard.
Every teacher she equips, every coach she mentors and every young player who walks onto a court with greater confidence represents another chapter in a legacy built not on personal achievement, but on giving knowledge away so that others can succeed.
For Makhathini, that is the true meaning of legacy: one teacher, one coach and one player at a time.
