
Ongeziwe Mali grew up on a mission in New Brighton where her father was a pastor. While there was lots of support and friendship, money was often in short supply.
A lack of finances was never going to stop the determined young woman from participating in sports, which she discovered she had a passion for early in her life. From the age of 10, Ongeziwe participated in athletics, represented her school in hockey and at one point she even played soccer for a boys team.
"I’ve always played a lot of sport with my friends, even in the rain. I always loved it. But my parents battled financially, and so I didn’t have the things that I always wanted to have like sports equipment. My first hockey stick was from the lost and found at school. But this pushed me to work harder for these things, for myself and for my parents," Ongeziwe said.
After participating in the Investec sponsored tournament, Ongeziwe attended the Investec Hockey Academy where she was exposed to a high-quality training and tuition environment. Shortly afterward, she was selected to join the South African women’s hockey team.
Ongeziwe was the youngest player in the national side which faced Germany in the opening match of the 2018 World Cup in London.