On cloud Nini: Nthabiseng's rise from Ikageng hub to South Africa honours

One day, Nthabiseng Nini was just another young woman getting her hair done to celebrate her 21st birthday. The next month, she was having the cake from said milestone-day smashed onto her face on a cricket tour. And two days after that, she was making history, as only the second player after Chloe Tyron to take a wicket with her first ball in a South Africa shirt.

"It's unbelievable," Nini said at the post-match press conference after South Africa beat Zimbabwe by six wickets to begin their five-match tour. "It's a great feeling to represent your country. I've done it in the Under-19s, but it's bigger now. It's really special for me today."

It seems like things have happened quickly for Nini in the last few weeks but the journey itself has been long, especially if you consider that cricket was a complete unknown to her growing up. Nini is from the township of Ikageng, just west of Potchefstroom, which is itself 120 kilometres south-west of Johannesburg and a place where football and music ruled the streets.

In 2014, Cricket South Africa set up a hub in the area, as part of their plan to accelerate the development of black African cricketers. At the time, Nini was just nine and had only been exposed to what she calls "school sport", essentially netball and athletics. Three years later, she discovered cricket thanks to a friend who lived close to her house. "I accompanied her to practice, and I was sitting on the side, just watching them and then I thought to myself this is a good sport to go for."

Still, there were challenges. The hub faced resource constraints and, last year, needed to be completely refurbished and underwent what one community website called "much needed repairs". For Nini, the motivation to play waned in an environment where cricket was a fringe pursuit and "there was a point where I wanted to leave cricket because it was difficult", she said.

But Ikageng is not a place of quitters. The people are known for their courage in the anti-Apartheid movement and their innovation. Ikageng loosely means "we build for ourselves" and that is what they, and Nini, have done. She was convinced to continue by the coach William Molewa, a former left-arm seamer who played provincial cricket as a teenager, and who was an influential figure at the hub and she listened. By the time Molewa passed away from colon cancer, in August 2023, Nini was well on her way.

She was selected in South Africa's squad for the inaugural Under-19 Women's T20 World Cup and though she only played in one match and bowled one over - incidentally Shafali Verma smashed her for 26 runs in that over - she had a taste for the big time.

Fast-forward two years and Nini was part of the next age-group World Cup and played a much bigger role. She took six wickets in as many matches and was named as the 12th player in the ICC team of the tournament as South Africa reached the final. India were their opponents again and this time Nini was ready. In defence of a modest 82, she took the new ball and bowled a decent first over that cost just seven and induced an edge from Gongadi Trisha that could have been called a half-chance. South Africa lost the match but gained four national players.

Wicketkeeper batter Karabo Meso, legspinner Seshnie Naidu, batting allrounder Kayla Reyneke and, as of Friday, Nini have all been capped at senior level. The first three of those are names that have done the rounds in South African cricket circles for the last couple of years. Meso has been a prominent figure in South African cricket thanks to her Player-of-the-Tournament performance for SA20 schools, Naidu provides a skill South Africa are lacking and Reyneke is being seen as both a future finisher and leader.

Introducing South Africa's latest cricketing (and dancing) sensation, Nthabiseng Nini pic.twitter.com/Ia78Mg31XT

— Cricinfo (@cricinfo) September 12, 2026

Nini was not being spoken about in the same way and her national selection took her by surprise.

"I was at the salon," she said. "It was Tuesday morning at around nine. I got a call." Convener of selectors Clinton du Preez was on the other end of the line. "I felt like I was dreaming, and then I started crying. It was really emotional that day for me. I told my grandmother, my mom and one of my close friends."

Then, she had to head to the pre-tour training camp in Pretoria, where she caught the eye of national captain Laura Wolvaardt.

"I've faced her a couple of times in the nets and I really liked what I've seen," Wolvaardt told Cricinfo. "She gets the ball to come through nicely, she's got nice shape on the ball and has been hitting her areas really well. She looks like she has great energy too and she seems quite detailed and meticulous with what she does. I love the way she has been training - she has been really focused but at the same time been really keen to learn and fun to be around."

Before the series began, Nini was asked how she could approach the occasion if she got her first senior cap and she had sage advice for herself: "Don't be too hard on yourself, because it's the first time. There are going to be nerves. But I think enjoying that moment is the biggest thing for me."

Inevitably, there was a little anxiety from Nini first-up. She pulled out of her delivery stride just before she was due to send down her first ball in Bulawayo and had to recalibrate. But soon she was having some fun. She released a full, wide ball that swung away as Nyasha Gwanzura reached for it and edged to Meso. Nini ran to her team-mates, arms outstretched in celebration of the best start to an international career any bowler can have. She ended the over by bowling Kelis Ndlovu off an inside-edge and a smile seemed to take up permanent residence on Nini's face. She kept her line on fifth stump as Zimbabwe continued to play loosely. She had Loreen Tshuma caught behind in her second over. She had figures of 3 for 10 after two overs and a match analysis of 3 for 17 at the end.