career

Laila Ali made short work of Gwendolyn O'Neil in the first professional boxing match between women in South Africa. The fans - Nelson Mandela among them - saw more action in the main supporting bout, as Cassius Baloyi lifted his fifth world title.

The Arthur Ashe Tennis Centre in Soweto has reopened with a new look and a renewed ambition: to groom the famous township's first tennis champion. Arthur Ashe and South Africa go back a bit - to a time when the apartheid government thought it could refuse a visa to the top-ranked American in the game, and get away with it.

The University of South Africa, the Pretoria-based university that offers distance education programmes to students across the country and the continent, has opened a regional learning centre in Ethiopia.

As 2005 kicks off, we take a quick glance at some of the SA sports men and women who stood out in 2004. It was, in many ways, a better sporting year than 2003, and this small list includes some repeaters from last year's selection - and a few new stars who made waves around the world.

If you were watching any of the previous four cricket World Cups, and you had any sympathy, you might have spared some for South Africa's cricket team.

Sitting down to lunch with Greg Minnaar, I am struck by the sparkle in his eyes. From that light within it is easy to deduce that he is a young man who enjoys his life - and especially outdoor sports. He is tanned and relaxed, and the 2003 mountain bike downhill world champion is good and interesting company.

Last year was no vintage for South African sports stars in the big three sports of cricket, rugby and soccer, although the national women’s soccer team Banyana Banyana did themselves proud. Who shone in other sports, though? Here’s SouthAfrica.info writer Brad Morgan's best of 2003.

The year 2003 must go down as a disappointing one for South African cricket. The reason is simple: the Proteas failed to make the Super Sixes in the World Cup that was played on home soil early in the year. Brad Morgan takes a closer look at the year that was.

There was not too much to shout about for Bafana Bafana, South Africa's national soccer team, in 2003, but the women's side, affectionately called Banyana Banyana, can look back on a job well done. So too can the Tsetse Flies - the national under-12 team.

A government initiative called Technology for Women in Business is helping South Africa's female entrepreneurs get access to the applied science and technology they need to catapult their businesses into the big league.