In anticipation of the 2027 Cricket World Cup, which will be jointly held in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia—for the first time in 24 years on African soil—the Proteas team is undertaking a tour to Namibia. This tour, part of a T20I tri-series in Windhoek, is viewed as the beginning of strengthening ties between the two Southern African neighbors.
Proteas head coach, Shukri Conrad, stated that they have a responsibility to act as a 'big brother,' assisting in the development of cricket across Africa, and believes that they should start with their closest neighbors—Zimbabwe and Namibia.
Previously, there were agreements allowing Namibia to participate in South Africa's main domestic tournament, as well as its secondary divisions such as the CSA provincial competitions. However, there was only one official match between the national teams—when Namibia hosted Proteas last October to mark the opening of a new stadium in Windhoek. In that match, the home team achieved a historic victory over the more favored visiting side.
There is hope that the upcoming tour will serve as a prelude to the creation of an independent continental tournament—the Africa Cup, which has moved from unofficial discussions to active planning by relevant councils. The Africa Cricket Association has given this tournament high priority, and the revenue from the series will be directed towards developing the sport in other parts of the continent.
Conrad noted that co-hosting the World Cup with Namibia and Zimbabwe presents an excellent opportunity to generate a wave of enthusiasm in Southern Africa, which he hopes will spread across the entire continent. For Conrad, who previously coached the Ugandan national team, this trip holds additional significance as it is his first visit to Namibia.
He utilized his resources on the continent, including former Cape Cobras assistant coach and Western Province head coach Salega Nakkerdien, who now coaches in Tanzania, to gather information about Namibia and the conditions at NCG. Conrad mentioned that the stadium conditions during the opening were not ideal, but he is monitoring Namibia's Division Two and hopes they can qualify for the World Cup. He expects the stadium conditions to improve significantly, as results show positive momentum.
Conrad also commented on the wonderful people working in Namibia: Johan Muller is the CEO, and Justin Kemp is the Cricket Director. He anticipates seeing top-class infrastructure and competitive standards.
The tri-series starts on August 28 and runs until September 6 in the Namibian capital, after which the Proteas players will play three ODI friendly matches against the hosts.
