The Siya crew was in attendance at the Women Who Make Moves in Sports Summit, where FIFA-licensed football agent and attorney Karabo Tshabuse, alongside netball coach and philanthropist Dumisani Chauke, shared personal experiences of the systemic barriers faced by women in sport, and how they are working to dismantle them.
Tshabuse, who made history as Africa’s first female FIFA agent, revealed that the title alone was not enough to open the doors that mattered most.
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“I think that's why I went back to school. Because as a FIFA agent, I had this fancy title, first female FIFA agent in Africa, but it didn’t get me into the rooms. I was shut out of the rooms. And I would represent players, but I was not allowed physically, guys, in the boardrooms. They’d be like, no, no, no, we don’t need your agent. If you want this deal, talk to us directly. So, I said, okay, I’m going to go fetch power. Law degree, cum laude – now I’m like, no problem. And that’s how we fight the system. So, the law degree, yes, it is for my benefit, but it’s to help my clients to say, no, you will not treat us like this,” said Tshabuse.
She added that the fight to reform sports administration should be persistent, but not unnecessarily confrontational.
Chauke, a decorated netball coach, analyst, founder of the Dumisani Chauke Netball Foundation, and seasoned sports administrator, echoed her sentiments, highlighting the long-standing inequality in access to decision-making spaces.
“I get like this when I’m passionate about something, and right now I’m passionate about breaking down a system that is not working. It hasn’t worked for the past 20 or 30 years. We can’t keep complaining, it’s tiring.
“The bar is higher for women to gain access into the boardrooms. You had to go and get a law degree, while some other agent in that room only has a Sport Management degree or a national higher certificate – and the connections. Next thing, they’re an international agent.
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“We see it in sports administration too. Women have to go get master’s or PhDs just to be on the same level as people with B.Techs. And then you must report to someone who can’t even save a PDF,” she added.
Their exchange drew nods and applause from the audience, underscoring a shared truth – that while progress has been made in giving women visibility in sport, the true battle is for equal access to the spaces where decisions are made.
