Women’s sport in Africa: athletes, stories and places to train

Following an athlete, discovering a sport or finding a group to train with: there is more than one way into women’s sport in Africa. Au féminin, Sport News Africa’s magazine, brings together women’s stories, African sporting journeys and experiences across the diasporas. This guide helps you find a starting point. The magazine and all eight profiles are available in English, with a French edition linked from each page.

African sportswomen and journeys across the diasporas

A result captures one day. A profile helps explain the journey behind it. Our selection of women’s stories explores football, skateboarding, surfing, mountain expeditions and roller skating. It introduces women who practise their sport, share their experience and help build communities around it.

• Houda Ait Lahcen: a journey between skateboarding and construction sites.
• KK Kamara: surfing on Sierra Leone’s coast.
• Harmonie Bataka: the places and encounters behind skateboarding in Ghana.
• Wandia Maina: organising mountain expeditions in Kenya.
• Tinuke Oyediran: acrobatic roller skating in the Nigerian diaspora.

Women’s football: discover the players and their stories

For an introduction to individual footballing journeys, read our profiles of Marie-Antoinette Katoto and Kadidiatou Diani. The magazine’s “Where are they now?” section returns to personalities in SNA’s archives and follows how their careers develop.

Where can women start practising sport in Africa?

Sometimes the first decision is not which sport to choose, but where to feel comfortable trying it. Our guide to studios and training spaces in Africa provides practical details: activities, addresses, contacts and links to the venues. Its stops include Marrakech, Douala, Nairobi, Cape Town and Abidjan.

Before booking, ask about the class level, price, equipment and admission arrangements. Not every venue featured is women-only. Videos show a particular activity or an identified event; they do not confirm that a class is available today.

Find a women’s sports community

If you would rather start with others, our selection of sports communities offers introductions to boxing, hiking and cycling. The magazine features BoxGirls Kenya, Black Girls Hike UK and Black Girls Do Bike. Contact each organisation to confirm the location, ability level, dates and participation requirements.

Sport at different stages of life

Training also has to fit around time, family and changing circumstances. Explore the magazine’s sections on motherhood and sport, sportswear and nutrition. Returning to exercise after pregnancy, or with a health condition, calls for professional advice suited to your circumstances.

Prefer to read this guide in French?

Lire notre guide du sport féminin en Afrique en français. The French guide opens the French editions of the magazine, profiles and practical resources.

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