Tatjana Smith Dominates SA Sports Awards

South Africa’s Olympic champion Tatjana Smith emerged as the star of the night at the 2025 South African Sports Awards, held at the Sun City Superbowl on Sunday.

Smith, who lit up the Paris 2024 Olympics with her performances in the pool, walked away with two of the ceremony’s most prestigious honours, Sportswoman of the Year and the coveted Sport Star of the Year award. She won gold in the 100m breaststroke and added a silver medal in another breaststroke event at last year’s Games.

Paralympic sensation Simone Kruger also made headlines, securing a double triumph as Junior Sport Star of the Year and Sportswoman of the Year with a Disability.

The men’s 4×100m relay team was named Team of the Year, while Paralympic sprinter Mpumelelo Mhlongo earned the title of Sportsman of the Year with a Disability.

The evening also paid tribute to one of South Africa’s greatest sporting icons, with former middle and long-distance runner Zola Budd-Pieterse receiving the prestigious Steve Tshwete Lifetime Achievement Award for her remarkable contribution to athletics.

The awards once again showcased the depth of South African sporting talent, celebrating both present-day champions and those whose legacies continue to inspire.