“You strike a woman, you strike a rock” echoed through South Africa since August 1956, when it became the slogan for a march in Pretoria involving more than 20,000 women from across races. The message was clear: even when laws were aimed at black women, resistance would be unyielding. Yet the past few weeks have forced South Africa’s women to confront a tougher question—what happens when they themselves can’t find a “rock” to hit back against, and instead keep running into it in the form of superior opposition?
South Africa’s white-ball struggles in New Zealand
- South Africa played eight women’s white-ball internationals in New Zealand from March 15 through Saturday, and came away defeated in six of the eight matches.
- In the ODI series, four of the five highest individual scores were recorded by New Zealand batters, while in the T20I series New Zealand produced all five top scores across the games.
- Ayabonga Khaka led the wicket-taking charts in the ODI contests with nine scalps, but she accounted for six of those in a single match; the remaining bowlers among the top five were all from New Zealand.
- During the T20Is, only Ayanda Hlubi—who appeared in two games—managed an economy rate below 8.00 among the eight South African bowlers used.
- In total, six of South Africa’s seven bowling options in the T20Is held New Zealand to scoring rates under eight runs per over.
- Mandla Mashimbyi later addressed the press, arguing that the problem wasn’t rooted in unfamiliar mistakes but in how consistently the team applied itself.
- He said the decisive gaps were linked to concentration and awareness, stressing that such lapses cost heavily and were evident across the series.
- Mashimbyi added that the squad must improve these areas and ensure they “leave no stone unturned” when the next challenge arrives.
The urgency of that message is hard to ignore. A five-match home T20I series against India is scheduled to begin in just 10 days, and the Women’s T20 World Cup starts 67 days from Tuesday in England. For most teams, the calendar is demanding; for South Africa, it is loud with pressure.
Road to England: finals without trophies, and new worries
South Africa have reached each of the three most recent women’s World Cup finals across formats—the 2023 and 2024 T20 editions, and last year’s ODI tournament—but they lost all three. In a nation where major global cricket titles are relatively scarce—South Africa have won only three ICC trophies since their readmission in 1991—the women’s team has nonetheless become a symbol of consistency and quality. Now, that beacon appears to be wavering.
One concern often cited is the absence of Marizanne Kapp. She has not played since falling ill during the third T20I against Pakistan in Benoni in February. At 36, her return and availability are uncertain, and a replacement looks increasingly likely sooner rather than later. Another storyline linked to South Africa’s downturn is the international retirement of Shabnim Ismail in May 2023. While Ismail was a dominant presence in the dressing room and in a Proteas shirt, the fact remains that South Africa still made it to two World Cup finals without her.
Even so, there is one bright thread emerging from the recent tour—20-year-old Kayla Reyneke. Ten days ago, in the first ODI against New Zealand in Christchurch, she came to the crease when South Africa were six down and chasing 79 from 75 balls. Reyneke remained unbeaten on 42 off 32, and her stand ended with a last-ball six off Suzie Bates, struck over long-on to secure a two-wicket victory. Khaka also had a standout moment in that same match, producing a career-best 6/56.
But those flashes were difficult to find consistently in New Zealand, leaving the series against India set to be scrutinised closely. It may be South Africa’s final meaningful window to fix what didn’t work before they head toward England.
Why India’s tour matters
The upcoming “rubber” promises to be a stern test. India have won eight of their last 10 T20Is, including series triumphs over strong sides such as England and Australia. India also have recent reminders of their own success against South Africa: they beat South Africa in the ODI World Cup final in Navi Mumbai in November, and they overcame South Africa in the T20I decider in Dubai in October 2024.
With the World Cup looming, India’s presence will be felt again. They are scheduled to face South Africa at Old Trafford in a group match on June 21. That means South Africa not only need to recover from the New Zealand tour, but also need to ensure those lessons translate into performances in the lead-up to the global event.
South Africa therefore have a chance to correct the issues that surfaced in their most recent meeting with Harmanpreet Kaur’s side, just over four months ago. Mashimbyi was asked whether he was looking forward to the opportunity to make a similar statement on the biggest stage.
He responded that the team would take whatever the World Cup brings, noting they are not drawn in the same group—so any potential meeting would likely happen at the business end of the tournament. Still, he insisted the immediate focus was not on specific matchups, but on identifying and closing the gaps in their own execution.
“We’ll take whatever we get at the World Cup,” Mashimbyi said. “We’re not in the same group, so if we’re going to meet it will be at the business end of the competition. But that’s not our worry at the moment. Our worry is where we need to tweak, where are the gaps. We need to make sure that we get better.”
Because, unlike rocks, women can—and do—strike back.
