How Fencing is Transforming Young Lives in Limpopo

Photo Credit: Limpopo Fencing Association

The Limpopo Fencing Association’s E Tla Natšo (Bring It On) project is using the Olympic sport to build confidence, develop leaders and create new opportunities for young people from underserved communities.

Mankweng, South Africa (05 July 2026) – The Limpopo Fencing Association (LFA) is proving that sport can be far more than competition. Through its flagship E Tla Natšo (“Bring it On”) project, the association is using fencing as a vehicle for youth development, opening doors for young people from underserved communities while helping them build confidence, leadership skills and brighter futures.

Since taking over as chairperson in 2020, Renuka Ramroop has focused on expanding the reach of fencing to communities that would otherwise never have access to the Olympic sport.

“I decided that we need to expand fencing to communities that would normally not have access to a sport like fencing,” she said. “The idea is to use fencing as an avenue for youth development. The sport is not the end in itself.”

The project currently operates in three schools in Mankweng, supporting around 45 young fencers from surrounding rural villages. Beyond training, participants receive academic support, mentorship and assistance with bursary opportunities, ensuring their development extends well beyond sport.

Renuka says some of the programme’s greatest successes are not measured by medals.

Photo Credit: Limpopo Fencing Association

One former participant, who recently left South Africa with his family, described the association as “his family”, while another young fencer has gone from spending afternoons on the streets to qualifying for South Africa’s Under-23 Commonwealth squad and becoming a qualified coach.

“It has given him a pathway. In the last five years, his trajectory has been just so awesome.”

The programme has also broadened the horizons of young people who rarely have opportunities to travel beyond their communities. In 2024, the association took 55 junior fencers to the national championships in Cape Town, an experience Ranuka describes as life-changing.

Recent sporting success has reflected the project’s impact. Nine athletes from Limpopo were selected for South Africa’s Commonwealth squad, with six coming directly from the E Tla Natšo project. The achievement marks a significant milestone for the province, while four fencers from rural villages will make history by representing Limpopo at national level.

Despite the progress, funding remains one of the association’s biggest challenges. Renuka says resources are stretched to cover everything from travel and equipment to administrative costs, making community support essential to sustaining the programme.

Looking ahead, her vision is to see former participants take ownership of the project as qualified coaches and mentors, allowing it to expand into more communities across Limpopo.

“The biggest medal is inside you,” she said. “That’s the best medal you can ever get. They don’t have to be number one, but they have to be the best person they can be.”

That philosophy continues to shape more confident young people.