Though sadness was the immediate sentiment in the aftermath of the World Cup final defeat against hosts India, Mandla Mashimbyi’s mood quickly turned to excitement for what lies ahead for the Proteas women’s side.
“I’m kind of excited now, because when no one gave us a chance, we gave ourselves a chance. I know what to do going forward. We’ll make sure we leave no stone unturned for England - we’ll bring the tsunami there,” said the Proteas head coach after Sunday’s defeat in Mumbai.
The Proteas Women arrive back in South Africa this afternoon at OR Tambo International Airport!
— Proteas Women (@ProteasWomenCSA) November 4, 2025
Whether you’re at the airport, at home, work or stuck in traffic, let’s celebrate their homecoming and their #Unbreakable spirit. Show your love for #TheProteas 🇿🇦💪
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The next ICC event will be the T20 World Cup in the UK in June next year and expectations will be high for the South African team which has played in the final of the last two editions of that tournament.
Mashimbyi, appointed in December last year, had his first taste of a global ICC event in India, and though the outcome was not what he or the players would have wanted, it has opened his eyes as to what will be required to take that next step.
“It was a special campaign for South Africa. We played good cricket, showed character. Going forward a lot of good things will happen for this team,” he added.
The Proteas won six out of nine matches at the World Cup, which included a run of five wins in a row, that secured their spot in the playoffs. Though captain Laura Wolvaardt was undoubtedly the team’s best player, several individuals elevated their status over the course of the tournament.
Most notable among those were Nadine de Klerk and left-arm spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba. De Klerk’s late innings heroics with the bat against India and Bangladesh, her all or nothing attitude in the field, coupled with ever improving bowling, gave the Proteas an extra dimension.
She will certainly be a favourite for teams in the three big franchise competitions and will play an increasingly important role for the Proteas in the next five years.
Mlaba, has taken her T20 form and transferred it to the ODI format, finishing the World Cup as SA’s leading wicket-taker with 13.
Perhaps encouragingly, there is still room for improvement, some of which was seen over the course of the tournament, where her changes of angle and pace indicated a player whose game awareness is growing.
Chloe Tryon was another who contributed as an all-rounder, as did Marizanne Kapp, despite a disappointing outing in the final.
Mashimbyi will be poring over the team’s shortcomings in the next few weeks, with one eye on that T20 World Cup, but also the 2029 ODI tournament. .
