Are these the greatest moments in South African sport?

A nation obsessed with sporting success, few countries can boast of more consistent excellence in their preferred sports than South Africa. Let's take a look at some of the best moments in the Rainbow Nation's history.

There isn’t a long history of South African F1 drivers, and none in recent times, so for Jody Scheckter to win the 1979 Formula One World Championship certainly ranks as one of the greatest achievements in South African sport.

The Proteas have produced world-class cricketers throughout their storied history, yet have struggled to win the major tournaments, making their 1998 Champions Trophy a true triumph. Given the talent in South African cricket at the moment, another trophy must surely be on the cards at some point.

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At the 2012 Olympics in London, Chad le Clos became an instant star by beating Michael Phelps in the 200m butterfly by 0.05 seconds. His win was highlighted by his emotional father’s interview with the BBC, where he exclaimed how proud he was of him. Worth a watch if you haven’t seen it!

“The Blade Runner” had spent years in legal proceedings in an attempt to make the transition from the Paralympics to the Olympics. In 2012, his dream was realised, running alongside able-bodied competitors at a packed-out Olympic Stadium. What came later was awful, but for a time, Pistorious was a deserved icon.

Is there a more impactful photo in rugby history than Nelson Mandela and Francois Pienaar holding the Webb Ellis Trophy aloft? If there is, we haven’t seen it. The 1995 triumph may not have been the best onfield of the Boks’ wins, but in terms of impact, there are none bigger.

Australia v South Africa is an evocative fixture in cricket, two teams usually packed with big, talented, and competitive monsters willing to give it all to win on the pitch. This was never more evident than in 2006 when Australia destroyed the record books to post 434/4 in an ODI, only for South Africa to chase it down with one ball remaining. An iconic match.

South Africa put on an incredible show during the 2010 World Cup, with many viewing it as one of the best of all time. Perhaps the most iconic moment came during the opening match, when Siphiwe Tshabalala scored an absolute rocket past Mexico. Peter Drury’s commentary of the moment summed it up perfectly: “Tshabalala! Goal Bafana Bafana! Goal for South Africa! Goal for All Africa!”

South Africa only hosted the 1996 AFCON at the last minute, replacing Kenya, yet they would go on to win the whole tournament for the first and only time. Bafana Bafana would dominate the entire tournament before winning the final 2-0 over Tunisia.

If 1995 was a win that brought South Africa together, 2007 was a win that perhaps shocked the world. By no means a bad team, the Boks were not favoured for the tournament, with New Zealand and Australia looking strong. Still, John Smit et al were able to drag themselves from one victory to another to win a second Webb Ellis Trophy.

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2008 was a transition period for Australian cricket following the retirements of some all-time greats, but going into the WACA and walking out with a win, and the second-largest chase in test history is a truly incredible achievement. Centuries from Graeme Smith and A.B. de Villiers blunted the fiery Mitchell Johnson and saw the Proteas take down the Aussies at home.

2019 saw the culmination of two years of hard work, with Rassie Erasmus turning around the fortunes of South African rugby almost single-handedly. Led by Siya Kolisi, once again the Boks were able to use their typical combination of power and finesse to demolish England in the final and lift their third World Cup trophy.

Always competitive in the pool, South Africa has produced some incredible athletes over the years, but perhaps none as impressive as Penny Heyns. Heyns remains the only woman in Olympic history to win the 100m and 200m breaststroke titles in one games, as she dominated the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

One of the greatest all-format cricketers of all time, A.B. de Villiers set a new standard for late-innings hitting back in 2015. Walking in with a huge platform set by Hashim Amla and Rilee Rossouw, AB would go on to score 149 from 44 balls including his century from just 31 deliveries, which remains a record and may genuinely never be broken.

The 2022/23 Women’s T20 World Cup was a brilliant showcase of the sport and saw South Africa reach the country’s first-ever World Cup Final. Despite some stiff resistance, Laura Wolvaardt et al couldn’t quite overcome the all-conquering Australian team. Still, what an effort to upset the established three of Australia, India, and England to reach the big game.

For the sake of not being too repetitive, we have spaced the Boks’ World Cup wins throughout the gallery, but that is certainly no insult to the 2023 team, as it may be seen as the greatest World Cup triumph of all time when it’s all said and done. The Boks won the quarter, semi, and final by a combined three points, beating France, England, and New Zealand en route to yet another win.

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