Celebrating Sisterhood and Sport at Girls Fest in Durban
September 7, 2025
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On Saturday, 30 August 2025, over 200 girls and coaches filled the courts of Danville Park Girls’ High School in Durban with the sounds of bouncing basketballs, laughter, and celebration, as PeacePlayers South Africa hosted its 7th Annual Girls Basketball Festival. In addition to participants and coaches from PeacePlayers’ core programs, four added partner schools also joined in to celebrate the power, potential, and leadership of young women — both on and off the court.
Held each year during South Africa’s National Women’s Month, Girls’ Fest has become a cornerstone event for PeacePlayers, offering a safe, joyful space for girls to connect, compete, and grow together. The 2025 theme continued to build on the organization’s mission: empowering girls to see themselves as leaders, changemakers, and community builders, using the language of sport to foster unity and confidence.
A Day of Inspiration and Empowerment
The day kicked off with registration and a warm welcome that set the tone for what was to come: inspiration, teamwork, and joy. Participants gathered for a panel discussion featuring three dynamic women leaders — Liezel Patterson, Shadi Nyokong, and Jessica Khomo — who shared stories of perseverance, purpose, and leadership.
Liezel Patterson, of the Victor Daitz Foundation, which helped sponsor the event, emphasized the importance of creating opportunities for young people to lead with confidence and compassion. Veteran social worker and Programme Manager with the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund (which also supports Girls Fest) Shadi Nyokong spoke about her lifelong work supporting children and families, highlighting the power of community-led change. Rounding out the panel, Jessica Khomo, General Manager of KwaZulu-Natal Athletics and former South African netball star, inspired the crowd with her story of resilience — from the classroom to the national court — and her passion for using sport to uplift others.
Building Skills, Building Leaders
Following the panel, the girls took to the courts for a round-robin tournament, displaying teamwork, sportsmanship, and skill. Off the court, they participated in life skills and team-bonding sessions, designed to help them strengthen their confidence, communication, and leadership.
The energy reached its peak during the Coaches Exhibition Game and the Finals, where cheers echoed across the courts. The day concluded with an awards ceremony, recognizing that not only athletic achievement but also qualities like respect, unity, and leadership are valued and elevated at PeacePlayers.
As the sun set on a full day of basketball, mentorship, and celebration, it was clear that the 7th Annual Girls’ Basketball Festival was about much more than sport — it was about creating space for girls to dream boldly, to lead fearlessly, and to know they belong both on the court and in the world.
PeacePlayers South Africa will host the 7th Annual Girls’ Basketball Festival on Saturday, 30 August 2025, at Danville Park Girls’ High School in Durban, South Africa. This event brings together 200 High School Girls and Coaches who participate in our weekly core programmes, and 4 additional High Schools/Teams who are friends of PeacePlayers.
The festival’s purpose is to create a safe space to celebrate & empower young girls and women as leaders – on & off the court – with aspirations for a positive future and to commemorate South African National Women’s Month through the sport of basketball.
Day’s events
- Staff, Coaches & Volunteers Arrive for setup
- Youth Arrival & Registration
- Welcome, Purpose of the Day
- Panel Discussion
- PPSA Pledge & Warm-up
- Round Robin Basketball Games
- LUNCH
- LIFE SKILLS/TEAM BONDING ACTIVITIES
- SEMI-FINALS
- Court A vs Court B Coaches Exhibition Game
- FINALS
- Prize Giving/Awards
- Vote of Thanks & Closure
- PARTICIPANTS DEPARTURE & CLEAN-UP
Panelists
Liezel Patterson
Liezel Patterson is the Distributions Officer of The Victor Daitz Foundation, one of KwaZulu-Natal’s largest philanthropic trusts. In this role, she oversees funding partnerships with organisations working in education, health, and community development, ensuring that resources reach those who need them most. She is passionate about creating opportunities that allow young people to overcome challenges, discover their potential, and step into leadership in their communities. With a background in business and non-profit work, Liezel brings both strategic insight and heartfelt commitment to her work. Outside of the foundation, she is a mother of two boys and is dedicated to mentoring and supporting the next generation to grow with confidence, resilience, and hope.
Shadi Nyokong
Shadi Nyokong is a Programme Manager at the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund. A qualified social worker, Shadi has worked in the non-governmental organisation sector for 32 years. During this period, she has focused on programme design and development, concept development, programme management and coordination, monitoring and evaluation, resource mobilisation and governance.
Shadi has been with NMCF for the past 24 years and has been responsible for executing the Fund’s strategy in all provinces in South Africa. She has managed programmes such as family-based early childhood development within the organisation, a programme for children living and working on the streets, a court support programme for children in the legal system, and care and support for children in vulnerable circumstances.
Through her work experience, she has gained skills in grants management, strategy development, fundraising, building and maintaining strategic partnerships, and monitoring and evaluation. Also have activated and managed multi-year and multi-partner programmes and projects.
Her programme’s focus for the past nine years has centred on reducing child mortality and supporting pregnant mothers and their babies in the first five years of a child’s life through family outreach, community outreach, and strengthening health systems.
Emphasis was on child immunisation, nutrition, prenatal and postnatal care and stimulation and early learning. Through her work in women’s health, she has learnt the value of supporting young mothers in achieving their objectives and realising their potential.
Shadi has presented papers at several conferences, attended several dialogues, conversations, forums and trainings that promote and protect the rights of children and young people. She was also a participant in the GIBS social entrepreneurship programme, a concept that involves using methods of mainstream business for social ventures. Her current interest lies in leadership development, specifically in promoting community-led developmental agendas and fostering local leadership.
Jessica Khomo
Jessica Khomo was a passionate educator, elite athlete, and community advocate hailing from Umgababa, a coastal community in the south of Durban, KwaZulu-Natal.
She began her netball journey at just ten years old and grew into a dedicated ambassador for youth development and empowerment through sport. An alumna of Our Lady of Fatima, Jessica balanced her teaching career with rigorous training to pursue excellence in netball. After a two-year hiatus, she made a remarkable comeback—earning a place in the South African national netball team. She represented the country at the Fast5 Netball World Series in Melbourne, showcasing her resilience and skill on an international stage. Jessica also played for the Kingdom Stars netball club in Durban and earned Player of the Match recognition in a provincial game, highlighting her outstanding performance and leadership on the court.
Beyond her athletic achievements, she was deeply committed to uplifting youth in underprivileged communities. She led coaching initiatives with the Briardene Youth Centre and Richmond community, engaging young girls through netball clinics, and spearheaded efforts to establish a formal sports club in her hometown, Umgababa. Today, Jessica is the General Manager of KwaZulu-Natal Athletics (KZNA), where she leads the organisation’s strategic and operational functions, creating pathways for athletes across the province and driving programmes that use sport as a tool for transformation. Jessica’s transition from classroom to court management reflects her passion for youth empowerment, education, and sports development. Having coached and mentored young athletes in under-resourced communities, Jessica understands first-hand the role sport can play in building resilience, confidence, and opportunity.
