South African women’s national hockey team player Onthatile Zulu has opened up about the severe financial burden she faces to represent SA in international competitions.
The national team is preparing to compete at the 2026 Women’s FIH Hockey World Cup — scheduled from August 15 to 30 — which is being jointly hosted by Wavre in Belgium and Amstelveen in the Netherlands.
The 26-year-old midfielder took to Instagram to express the reality of self-funding her international sporting career.
“I’ve been quiet for too long, but as we prepare for the World Cup, I feel I owe it to my team, my family, and every young athlete in South Africa to speak up,” Zulu wrote. “For years, my family, friends and personal sponsors have financially carried my hockey career.”
I’ll continue to play with pride and passion when representing my country until the sport develops into something I would have wanted it to be years ago
— Onthatile Zulu
Zulu shared a breakdown of the expenses players are expected to cover for the upcoming World Cup, which includes:
- domestic and international flights;
- accommodation;
- meals;
- transport; and
- medical or recovery costs.
While international flights are partially sponsored, players are still left to cover the remaining expenses, which amount to R68,137 per player.
While deeply passionate about the sport, Zulu raised serious concerns about players having to pay out of their own pockets to represent their country.
“This is a sport I love with every fibre of my being. It has given me the dream-come-true opportunity to represent my country,” she said. “But behind every green and gold jersey is a heavy financial reality. I have had to personally pay for almost everything to represent South Africa: interprovincial tournaments, visas, flights, accommodation and transport.
“While I am deeply grateful when our federation is able to subsidise costs, the remaining financial burden on us as players is overwhelming. It is exhausting and stressful to worry about how to pay for a tournament when we should only be focusing on performance.”
Zulu revealed that national hockey players did not earn a salary for their efforts. “Because hockey isn’t professional in South Africa, we don’t get paid. When I tell people this, they are shocked, but for many SA athletes it’s just the norm.”
This systemic lack of funding damages the team’s integrity and international standing, as they are constantly labelled as “underdogs” due to minimal preparation and limited resources, she said.
Representing South Africa is our greatest honour and it’s time to invest in our dreams, not just applaud them
— Onthatile Zulu
Despite these hurdles, Zulu remains inspired by the achievements of other national teams, such as Bafana Bafana and the Proteas Women at their respective World Cups, and vowed to keep flying the South African flag high.
“I’ll continue to play with pride and passion when representing my country until the sport develops into something I would have wanted it to be years ago.”
She highlighted that the financial barrier doesn’t just affect current national team players but also cuts short the careers of young promising players who do not have money.
“I look at school-level hockey and see so much talent and potential. However, over the years I’ve also seen some of my incredibly talented teammates forced to walk away from their dreams simply because they couldn’t afford to keep playing. It breaks my heart.”
Zulu also voiced her frustration over government spending priorities, noting the contrast between the lack of support for athletes and the budget allocated to major ministerial trips. The department of sport, arts and culture recently revealed that it spent R31m to send a delegation to the 2026 Fifa World Cup.
“It hurts ... it really just comes down to care, investment and the necessary people actually paying attention to sports that need development. I can only hope and pray that things change over time. Representing South Africa is our greatest honour and it’s time to invest in our dreams, not just applaud them.”
TimesLIVE
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.