MBABANE – Eswatini’s fastest lady Bongiwe ‘Smolly’ Mahlalela has been crowned Sportswoman of the Year at the prestigious Tshwane University of Technology Sports Awards ceremony.
The glittering event was staged on Thursday, October 1, 2026 evening. Her remarkable accolade is accompanied by an International Participation Award and a lucrative E128 000 sports scholarship covering full tuition fees.
“I literally cried when I was announced as Sportswoman of the Year. I also got an International Participation Award. TUT did not stop there; they awarded me a sports scholarship of E128 000 for tuition fees,” she said with immense pride.
She further quoted a verse acknowledging her faith in the Lord and expressed deep appreciation for her family.
“Proverbs 3 vs 5-6: Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. I would like to appreciate my family, especially my mom and dad, who have been guiding and supporting me through this entire season. Those who know are aware that my season did not start nicely; I struggled. I even lost myself mentally, failing to understand what was happening, but God stood up for me,” Mahlalela said.
She also extended sincere gratitude to her backers, including Instacash Eswatini, Joma Sports South Africa, ETISA, AE, REPS, EOCGA, her church (OAC), Coach Willem de Beer, physiotherapist Paul Durand, and psychologist Dr Rucksana at TUT.
Among her stellar achievements this year, Mahlalela stormed to victory to claim gold and shattered the Commonwealth Games qualifying standard, lowering the required 24.24 seconds down to a blistering 24.12 seconds in the senior women’s 200m final.
The unforgettable performance took place at the Confederation of University and Colleges Sports Associations Games held in Gaborone, Botswana. Eswatini returned home with a two-medal haul, both courtesy of Mahlalela, who also secured a bronze medal in the 100m sprint with a time of 12.39 seconds.
Mahlalela completely dominated the 200m final despite facing tough wind resistance, anchoring her position as the region’s top sprinter by beating out stiff competition from South Africa’s Emmarentia Germishuysen and Zimbabwe’s Rutendo Vushe. She further represented the country proudly at the Commonwealth Games staged in Glasgow, Scotland.
This is the fourth time she has been recognised at TUT, following similar accolades last year. The exceptional 100m, 200m and 400m specialist also made history by smashing the indoor 400m record with a time of 56.34 seconds during the World Indoor Championships held in China.
