Giada Prinsloo strikes gold with SA U21 Netball Call Up
- By S’fiso Nyawo
Prinsloo recently received a call-up to be part of the South African U21 Netball squad to represent the country in the Netball World Youth Cup 2025 Qualifiers.
Congratulations to Giada Prinsloo, who recently received the news of a call up to the South African U21 Netball squad, where she represented the country at the Netball World Youth Cup 2025 Qualifiers Africa.
Giada, who plays as a Goal Shooter and a Goal Attack, has shown great promise already in her budding Netball career, already having been apart of the Gauteng Fireballs team in 2023 and 2024. She further claimed the Rising Sportswoman award at the 2023 Wits Sports awards.
The talented Prinsloo is currently doing her first year in Biomedical engineering, after transferring from a Biological Science degree last year. She’s been in the Wits Sport set up since 2023, collecting 19 caps for the University, through playing in the USSA, Gauteng Super League and the Varsity Netball tournament.
We were fortunate to catch up with Giada, to discuss her recent success and what really keeps her going, and how she is able to balance her personal life, academics, and Netball career.
What motivated you to start playing Netball? “I started in pre-primary, so it was most likely the case of doing what all my friends were doing. Maybe also because my mom was the coach, so in this case I was kindly obliged to participate.”
What went through your mind when you got the news of the SA U21 call-up? “Honestly not much of anything. I found out via a post on Instagram in which somebody had tagged me, so it was quite sudden and unexpected. It was so surreal seeing my name and honestly felt like a dream. I finally grasped the fact that I actually MADE the team, when we had our capping ceremony where I received my dress. Thereafter I was ecstatic but stressed knowing that I had to represent my country.”
What’s been key to your success so far? “Hard work, perseverance, sacrifices and my support system which is my family and especially my Wits teammates.”
How do you balance academics and Netball? “I’d say this is where the sacrifices come in. Being a student-athlete means to sometimes reject certain invitations and having a limited social life. Most of my weekends are dedicated to academics as it’s a constant feeling of having to “catch up”. Especially being a high-performance athlete there have been many days maybe even a full week at a time where I am unable to attend class since I am at some kind of tournament. This means any off time that is available, should be focused on completing assignments and keeping up with the work discussed during the lectures. So, I’d say the key to balance is self-discipline thus knowing when to work and when to play.”
How has Wits aided you to succeed in your Netball career? “Playing for Wits and having the opportunity to compete in the Varsity Netball tournament has definitely helped me with exposure. In both USSA and the Varsity Netball tournament, I was given the opportunity to compete against the best players at varsity level and showcase skills that could lead to being selected for certain teams. But Wits have not just aided me on a sporting level. Financially, Wits has made it possible for me to be able to study in the first place and I can wholeheartedly say that the office and management aided a great deal in being able to balance both playing and academics, whether it’s with letters of my absence, helping to reschedule missed tests or even just someone to offer guidance when obligations become overwhelming. I don’t think there’s enough “thank you” in the world to express my gratitude because Wits has been nothing short of great to me.”
How do you handle adversity or setbacks in life and Netball? “I would say that I am a reserved person, so more often than not, I would just keep to myself in my room for however long I need, where I tend to question why certain things happened the way they did. “It’s God’s will and it just simply was not meant to be” is a motto that I use when I feel like nothing works out the way I had originally planned and that is all I need to get back up the next day.”
What’s your favourite Netball moment? “The whole first day of the African qualifiers was a memorable highlight for me. Having people cheer and chant for you while running onto the court is invigorating. I felt important and at that moment I finally grasped that I was there to compete. Afterwards when making our way back to the team shuttle, there are people, young girls, and aspiring players waiting to take pictures with you. I couldn’t believe that someone that I had never even met before wanted an actual picture of me! I felt like a celebrity and not a single smile, out of the hundreds of pictures I had taken, was fake.”
How do you stay motivated and disciplined? “It’s as easy as telling myself that I am privileged to be in the position I am. There’s always somebody else with the same drive and motivation that has yet to have the opportunity, so I try not to take mine for granted. My motivation lies in the fact that netball is a team sport, meaning that I’m never struggling alone. When I’m feeling tired on court, I can draw energy from my teammates giving me that extra push. I enjoy the game but most importantly I enjoy the company of my teammates and that alone makes me want to get up in the morning for an early gym session.”
Giada concluded our chat, by sharing a quote she lives by, which is “If God brings you to it; He will bring you through it.”, showing her belief in God, who strengthens her belief in herself.