The journey of the South African women’s T20 team has been filled with challenges, but also triumphs since the inaugural women’s T20 World Cup in 2009 held in England. Over nine editions of the tournament, with the most recent taking place in South Africa in 2023, the team has faced various ups and downs. Notably, in the 2023 edition hosted in their own country, South Africa achieved the remarkable feat of finishing as runners-up. Let’s review each edition of the T20 World Cup and explore the performances of the South African Women’s team in detail.
1. 2009 – Round 1
The 2009 T20 World Cup took place in England, where South Africa competed in Group A alongside New Zealand, Australia, and West Indies. Despite playing three matches, they failed to secure a single win, resulting in their inability to progress further in the tournament.
2. 2010 – Round 1
The second edition of the women’s T20 World Cup was hosted by the West Indies. South Africa was grouped with Australia, West Indies, and England in Group A. Despite playing three matches, they did not secure any wins, hence they could not advance further in the tournament.
3. 2012 – Round 1
The 2012 T20 World Cup took place in Sri Lanka. South Africa competed in Group B alongside West Indies, New Zealand, and the host nation Sri Lanka. They began with a successful 6-wicket victory against Sri Lanka in their first match but later lost their next two matches. As a result, they were unable to progress to the next stage of the tournament.
4. 2014 – Semi-Final
The fourth edition of the women’s T20 World Cup took place in Bangladesh. South Africa was placed in Group A alongside Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan, and Ireland. They played four matches, losing only one, which secured them a place in the semi-final. However, they were defeated by England in the semi-final by 9 wickets.
5. 2016 – Round 1
In 2016, India hosted the fifth edition of the women’s T20 World Cup. South Africa was in Group A alongside New Zealand, Australia, Sri Lanka, and Ireland. They played four matches, securing a victory against Ireland by 67 runs but experiencing losses in the remaining three matches, resulting in failure to advance further in the tournament.
6. 2018 – Round 1
Following their previous hosting in 2010, West Indies hosted the T20 World Cup for the second time in 2018. South Africa was assigned to Group A, competing alongside West Indies, England, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. They played a total of four matches, securing victories over Sri Lanka by 7 wickets and Bangladesh by 30 runs. However, they suffered defeats in the remaining two matches, which prevented them from advancing further in the tournament.
7. 2020 – Semi-Final
In 2020, Australia hosted its first ICC women’s T20 World Cup. South Africa competed in Group B, facing off against England, West Indies, Pakistan, and Thailand. They dominated their group stage matches, winning all four and securing the top spot in the table, which earned them a spot in the semi-final. However, their journey ended in disappointment as they narrowly lost to Australia by 5 runs in the semi-final.
8. 2023 – Runners Up
South Africa hosted the eighth edition of the women’s T20 World Cup. Placed in Group 1 alongside Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh, South Africa competed in four matches. Despite having the same points as Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, South Africa’s superior run rate of 0.738 allowed them to qualify for the semi-final. They secured a thrilling victory in the semi-final against England by 6 runs, earning them a spot in the final. However, their journey concluded with a defeat in the Final, losing to Australia by 19 runs.
