The air in Johannesburg carried its own charge on the evening of Saturday, 8 August 2026, and inside the Wanderers Club in Illovo, Johannesburg, the energy was pure fire.
We came together to celebrate a massive milestone: the 21st edition of the gsport Awards, marking 20 beautiful years since the gsport platform first began its mission to make women’s sport visible.
Because gsport handed out its very first award at the launch of the initiative in 2006, this night brought a flawless, emotional symmetry to a remarkable two-decade journey.
If you were not in the room, close your eyes. This is what it felt like to experience the magic.
The buzz started the day before, on Friday, 7 August, when Banyana Banyana legend Portia Modise was inducted into the gsport Hall of Fame. It was an intimate affair attended by fellow Hall of Famers, including Penny Heyns, Hazel Gumede, Vicky Masuku, Jane Bramley, Odessa Swarts, Motlatsi Keikabile and Dudu Msane. You could already feel the energy lifting as finalists began to sense what was coming.
At midday on Saturday, 8 August, the hallways of the Protea Hotel by Marriott Johannesburg Wanderers were alive with motion. Glamour squads of makeup artists, led by the incredible Adelle Jung, worked with precision. VIP guests and finalists shared nervous laughter, final outfit adjustments and a growing sense of anticipation.
By 5pm, the light outside was perfect, arriving shortly before sunset as the red carpet came alive. Some walked the red carpet for the first time. Others had been here before, more than once, but everyone wondered the same thing: would tonight be their night?
Attendees absolutely nailed the assignment. The fashion made a statement of power and grace, ushered in by a gorgeous, trend-setting soft-palette look from Lynn at Just Tonight Josephine.
The media zone was beautifully chaotic and charged with energy. Top digital creators, including the gsport Digital Squad, captured video for social media, while the gsport Awards Presenter Squad, working with SABC Sport, conducted high-energy interviews.
Before stepping inside, guests paused at the stunning Inverroche bar to take in the occasion and make new friends. Celebrating three years of continuous partnership with gsport, Inverroche offered a moment of luxury before the main event.
Meanwhile, live radio broadcasters from Radio 2000, led by the award-winning Rachel Makhura, anchored right in the lounge to capture the raw, unfiltered emotions of arriving stars.
Stepping into the newly refurbished Grand Foyer at the Wanderers Club, the atmosphere shifted into full celebration. A massive, beautiful grazing table offered an exquisite feast.
The Telkom DJ Box handled the ambient soundtrack perfectly. Back by popular demand, last year’s resident DJ turned the foyer into a party before the party started. Nearby, the Telkom photo booth stayed packed all night, fuelling pre-awards celebrations.
At 7:30pm, everyone flooded into the main ballroom. The room grew still, then burst into life as the broadcast lights came on. We were live across the nation on SABC 2, SABC Sport and SuperSport. Led by the incomparable Vusiwe Ngcobo, a gsport Award winner herself, she handled the show with grace, power and precision.
The crowd was so electric, so fiercely supportive of one another, that we did not need traditional on-stage entertainment. The presentation of the awards was the entertainment. Every envelope opened brought collective gasps, cheers and roars of approval. Seeing a wave of first-time winners stand on that podium, tears in their eyes, reminded everyone in the room exactly why we do this.
When the live broadcast ended, the energy did not fade. It grew.
Guests spilled back out into the night to revel in a resounding success. Paul Mukwevho captured iconic, high-fashion portraits against a custom infinity backdrop. Media interviews continued into the late hours, and the DJ dropped incredible tunes that kept the dance floor moving.
It was a grand, unforgettable affair. A big thank you must go to the Protea Hotel Wanderers, the Wanderers Club and our incredible family of partners who believe in the power of women’s sport: the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, Brand South Africa, SABC Sport, SABC 2, Radio 2000, SAfm, Telkom, Nielsen Sports South Africa, Endeavor AV, Worldwide Sports, G100 and Gauteng Province.
Finally, thank you to every person who has walked this 20-year path with us. Here’s to the next era of making women’s sport visible.
Main Photo Caption: Glamour, gratitude and 20 years of making women’s sport visible came together as finalists, winners and guests marked the 21st edition of the gsport Awards, held at the Wanderers Club in Illovo, Johannesburg, on Saturday, 8 August 2026. All Photo: Paul Mukwevho / (c) gsport 2026
Photo 2 Caption: Red carpet arrivals set the tone for an evening honouring South African sportswomen in front of a live national television and radio audience.
Photo 3 Caption: Hall of Fame inductee Portia Modise joined two decades of gsport honourees at a celebration that ran deep into the winter Johannesburg night.
Photo 4 Caption: Music from the Telkom DJ Box lifted the newly refurbished Grand Foyer long before the ballroom doors opened, with the Telkom photo booth alongside it.
Photo 5 Caption: Long after the live broadcast ended, high-fashion portraits, late media interviews and a full dance floor carried proceedings into the early hours.
