Mini Netball Festivals give young girls a platform to build skills, confidence and a love for the game
Seen Here: PEP has wrapped up its 2026 mini Netball Festivals with two inspiring grassroots events in the Eastern Cape — bringing young girls together in Butterworth and Adelaide to play, learn, build confidence and celebrate their love for netball. Photo Credit: Supplied
PEP has wrapped up its Women’s Month programme with the final instalments of its PEP mini Netball Festivals, continuing its investment in grassroots sport and creating opportunities for young girls to learn, grow and thrive through netball.
The final two festivals were hosted in the Eastern Cape, with Butterworth High School in Butterworth welcoming young players on 21 August, before Adelaide Primary School in Adelaide hosted the concluding festival on 26 August.
The festivals formed part of PEP’s nationwide mini Netball programme, which aims to make the sport more accessible to young girls while providing them with opportunities to develop their abilities in a supportive and engaging environment.
Rather than focusing solely on competition, the festivals combined interactive activities with friendly matches, allowing participants to sharpen their netball skills while developing confidence and teamwork.
For many of the young players, the festivals also provided an opportunity to experience the joy of organised sport, interact with other aspiring players and build positive associations with physical activity.
The Eastern Cape events brought the Women’s Month programme to a close on a high note, highlighting the importance of creating opportunities for young girls to participate in sport from an early age.
Through initiatives such as the PEP mini Netball programme, grassroots sport becomes more than a pathway to competition. It can provide young participants with valuable life skills, including discipline, communication, resilience, teamwork and confidence.
The focus on participation and development also reflects the growing recognition of sport as a powerful tool for youth empowerment, particularly for girls who may not always have access to structured sporting opportunities.
The Butterworth and Adelaide festivals therefore served as more than end-of-month events. They formed part of a broader effort to strengthen the foundations of women’s sport by introducing young girls to the game, encouraging them to develop their potential and giving them the confidence to aim higher.
As Women’s Month comes to an end, the message from the PEP mini Netball programme extends beyond the final whistle: when young girls are given the opportunity, encouragement and platform to participate, sport can help them discover not only their talent, but their potential.
The continuation of grassroots netball initiatives across South Africa will be important in ensuring that more young girls have the chance to play, compete, develop and dream — both on and off the court.
