Uganda’s She Cranes have been crowned 2026 Africa Netball Cup champions after defeating defending champions South Africa’s SPAR Proteas 56–53 in a thrilling final at a packed Kasarani Indoor Arena.

The highly anticipated showdown lived up to expectations as the continent’s two powerhouses battled in a tense, physical and closely contested final that went down to the wire.

Both teams entered the final unbeaten, having each defeated four opponents on their way to the title decider.

Uganda were chasing their first African title since 2018, while South Africa were targeting a fifth consecutive crown.

The final started at a frantic pace, with both teams exchanging goals in the opening minutes.

South Africa briefly gained control midway through the opening quarter, using their pace and tight defensive structure to establish a three-goal advantage.

The She Cranes responded quickly, returning to their short-passing game and making the most of their shooting opportunities to finish the opening quarter 15–13 ahead.

Uganda maintained their momentum in the second quarter, with Margret Bagala directing the attack, Shaffie Nalwanja making crucial interceptions and Rachel Nanyonga providing accurate feeds.

Shadia Nassanga remained clinical in the shooting circle as the She Cranes extended their advantage to 31–27 by half-time.

Coach Rashid Mubiru retained his starting seven after the break, and Uganda came out strongly in the third quarter.

The She Cranes applied greater pressure defensively, with Nalwanja leading the effort while Gloria Aya and Eve Aitesi combined to force important turnovers from the Proteas.

At the other end, Nassanga continued to deliver with impressive movement and shooting accuracy, helping Uganda open an eight-goal lead at 46–38 heading into the final quarter.

South Africa pushed hard in the closing stages, increasing the tempo and taking advantage of some unforced errors from Uganda to reduce the deficit to just three goals with a minute remaining.

However, the She Cranes remained composed under pressure and held on to secure a 56–53 victory and their fourth Africa Netball Cup title.

Uganda had previously won the continental crown in Botswana in 2014, Kampala in 2017 and Zambia in 2018.

The tournament also doubled as a qualifier for the Netball World Cup, with Malawi and Namibia joining Uganda and South Africa in securing qualification. South Africa had already earned automatic qualification based on their global ranking.