The 20th gsport Awards on Saturday night was pure magic, the kind of night that spills onto timelines and keeps everyone buzzing for days. The last time this feeling was felt was back in 2020 during Covid-19, when gsport created a similarly magical setup where dreams came true.
On Saturday evening, a host of SABC Radio African Language stations provided live updates, while the room itself was electric – alive with energy, media traipsing the red carpet, women’s sport celebrities spotting one another, and shrieks of delight whenever they bumped into big names.
G100 Global Chair for Sports Empowerment and Championships, Mapulane Phohleli, travelled all the way from Lesotho – yes, the mountain kingdom – and Deputy Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Peace Mabe, graced the evening with her presence. Penny Heyns, the first-ever gsport Award winner, was in attendance, and when Caster Semenya entered the ballroom, the crowd went wild – one of the most awarded athletes in gsport history right there in front of everyone.
This year, with no Naming Rights partner, gsport fully embraced its identity and celebrated an Ode to 2006 – nostalgic, heartfelt, simple, and perfect. And while the athletes shone brightest, another silent force gave the night its heartbeat: the décor.
With all eyes on the guests, décor can easily be overlooked, yet it quietly sets the tone for the entire experience. The Wanderers Club, which has now hosted the Awards 15 times over two decades, once again became the canvas. As former Telkom Woman of the Year and renowned events planner Natasha Petersen says, “the décor is the silent guest.” And this year, that silent guest told a powerful story.
Maranda Pieterse and her team at Decor4Hire were tasked with bringing the Ode to 2006 theme to life. For Pieterse, décor isn’t about filling a room; it’s about creating an immersive experience.
“So décor, I think, creates an experience, versus just going somewhere. Okay, also, if you think of having furniture somewhere that’s nice, it’s nice, but it’s a soft little detail that touches. It’s the things that people go home and are excited about, telling others, ‘Oh, they had a little butterfly hair’ or ‘these flowers were amazing.’ So I do, I do enjoy that, getting an experience.”
Decor4Hire’s Maranda Pieterse
For her first gsport Awards, Pieterse drew on a regal purple and gold palette, mixing cocktail and café lounge furniture with venue lounge pieces and free-standing décor elements. The flowers were her personal joy, blending textures and shapes into bold and intricate arrangements.
“I love designing the arrangements for the specific events. I had so much fun on Friday night, my nails are still spray painted because I was doing the flowers. I was having lots of fun playing with the flowers. I made really big arrangements and really small ones. I love all the different styles and textures that flowers have. There are so many wonderful patterns, you have spiky ones and hard ones, and to bring all of that together in one arrangement is very interesting, like I enjoy that forever.”
The result? A magical café-style space where guests laughed, hugged old friends, made new ones, and quite literally bumped into legends and hall of famers. It was décor as empowerment, as Pieterse herself described:
“Everybody likes women’s empowerment because we’re women, so that’s always good to be part of that and to support other women in what they’re doing to show appreciation and respect.”
Telkom amplified the atmosphere with a DJ and stunning floral photo walls, which had guests and winners queuing up to have their photos taken.
Just next door, the Protea Hotel by Marriott Wanderers, gave finalists the dream start to their night – with outfits by Just Tonight Josephine and makeup by Adele Jung and her glam squad, the princess treatment was on fleek.
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It was the kind of prep that makes you feel like a superstar before you even step out. Amy Elliot, Kelli Mthembu, and their team made it all effortless – this hotel is a true must-stay in Johannesburg.
Just outside the entrance to the prestigious Wanderers Club, the Inverroche Bar set the perfect pre-red-carpet vibe – laughter, excitement, and the thrill of knowing something magical was about to unfold. The evening overflowed with champion energy, leadership, youthfulness, and joy.
Melinda Lombard, gsport’s Head of Broadcast, brought together five incredible women, Lonwabo Miso, Geraldine Pillay-Viret, Phumeza Langa, Jess Mushavhatu, and Karabo Mokgalagadi, to present live, while SABC Sport ensured wide coverage across radio and television, with SuperSport also taking the live feed, ensuring the country shared in the landmark celebrations.
Popular comedian, Tips Shampoonaizer, had the crowd in high spirits during the ad breaks of the live show, encouraging them to be vocal in their support of the winners, and guests followed his lead with the ballroom humming in celebration every time a new winner walked up to the stage.
Worldwide Sports’ media walls and the partners who stood tall – Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, SABC Sport, Brand SA, Telkom, Nielsen Sports SA, Gallo Images, G100, Inverroche, Decor4Hire, Endeavour AV, and Red Cherry Interactive – showcased the power of collaboration.
Big shout out to Richard Horwell and Endeavour AV, who ensured technical details were flawless, delivering outstanding support to the live broadcast crew from SABC Sport.
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And the gsport events team, led by Dibuseng Modise, showed what vision and dedication can do- from interns in 2018 to running the 20th Awards in 2025. With former Telkom Woman of the Year Natasha Petersen flying in from Cape Town to support them, the evening was grounded in love and legacy.
As the night drew on, guests were still smiling, dancing, and partying, the Telkom DJ keeping the vibe alive while no one wanted to leave. Electric. Unforgettable. The timelines are still buzzing.
20 years of gsport is coming in 2026, and if the 20th edition was this magical, the best is yet to come.
Main Photo Caption: Sport, Arts and Culture Deputy Minister, Peace Mabe; G100 Global Advisory Council member, Dr Malebo Maponyane; G100 Global Chair – Sports and Championships Wing, Mapulane Phohleli; former DSAC DDG Sumayya Khan; and gsport Founder, Kass Naidoo. Photo: gsport / Paul Mukwevho
Photo 2 Caption: For her first gsport Awards, Decor4Hire’s Maranda Pieterse drew on a regal purple and gold palette, mixing cocktail and café lounge furniture with free-standing décor elements. Photo: Sachin du Plooy Naran
Photo 3 Caption: The Deputy Minister and entourage make their entrance signalling the start of proceedings for the 2025 gsport Awards. Photo: Sachin du Plooy Naran
Photo 3 Caption: Big shout out to Richard Horwell and Endeavour AV, who ensured technical details were flawless, delivering outstanding support to the live broadcast crew from SABC Sport. Photo: Sachin du Plooy Naran
