Basketball star shoots for success

As we celebrate Youth Month, Luhle Ndaba’s basketball feats shine as a true reflection of the university’s commitment to vibrant student engagement and growth. Her journey now leads her to the 2026 Confederation of Universities and Colleges Sports Association (CUCSA) Games in Gaborone, Botswana, from 28 June to 5 July 2026.

The 21-year-old student’s willingness to learn further, commitment to her craft and talent started on the courts of Gugulethu, playing with her primary school male friends. She fell in love with basketball at first sight. Sports run deep in her blood as her inspiration; her grandmother was an athlete, her father and uncles were soccer stars, and one uncle was a major basketball star, but before basketball, Luhle, the second-born of three girls, played soccer and netball, “but everything changed when I followed my male primary school friends to the basketball courts”.

Imagining what awaits her as she prepares to join the CUCSA Games, she says: “It means my late grandmother’s prayers, my parents’ tears, and Coach Gio’s [Giovanni Freeman] early mornings were not in vain. It means a girl from Gugulethu gets to wear SA [South African] on her chest again. And it means I am proof that with the right people behind you, you can rise even when you almost gave up on yourself.”

Reflecting on the news of her selection, Luhle, who wants to open opportunities for young athletes, not just in basketball, but in sport as a whole, notes: “I felt deep gratitude, not just excitement. My first reaction was quiet disbelief. Then I called my mom. She didn't scream; she just said, ‘I always knew.’ That meant more than any trophy. Coach Gio, who taught me discipline when I felt like giving up, was the next person I told. He just said, ‘This is only the beginning.’”

In sports, she envisions opening opportunities for young athletes, not just in basketball, but in sports as a whole. “I want to create pathways for township kids to be seen. In academics, she plans to complete her Project Management qualification at CPUT and eventually work in one of the mines in South Africa.

“I refuse to be a one-dimensional person. I want to build a career underground and a legacy above ground.”

Taking a look at her journey, which started with Gugulethu Hustlers before being scouted by Coach Lala [Lindile Khethelo] to join the Western Cape Sports School, Luhle says her boarding school experience changed “my entire life”. “We woke up at 5 am for intense training.” At 15 years old, she represented South Africa at the U17 level in Lesotho. In 2023, she was invited to the Basketball Without Borders camp, where only 40 of the best girls on the continent were invited. At the 2025 University Sports South Africa (USSA) tournament, Luhle received an All-Star award and a national call-up. “I attribute my success to my parents’ unwavering support, Coach Gio, who never gave up on me, and Coach Lala, who saw something in a girl from Gugulethu.”

She continued: “My parents' sacrifices. My late grandmother’s memory. Coach Gio’s voice telling me not to quit and, lastly, to be the best role model for my younger sister. I want her to look at me and see a strong woman who rises above all odds.”

Her career, like any athlete, has faced challenges such as injuries, emotional intelligence, and managing self-doubt. “There were times I doubted myself so much it affected my game. That is still a battle I fight and win more often now.”

She promises CPUT to expect “my full heart, my discipline, and my honesty, win or lose”. “To the youth: your address is not your destiny. Gugulethu produced me; let it produce you too. Stay when it’s boring. Show up when no one claps. And never let doubt convince you that you belong on the bench of life.”

Her aspirations are: “To wear the national flag many times. But my biggest dream is to open opportunities for young athletes from townships, to build a system where talent doesn't die because of a lack of resources. And to work in the mines of South Africa, proving that an athlete can also be an academic and a professional.”

Written by Aphiwe Boyce
Email: BoyceAp@cput.ac.za