South Africa’s Buhle Nhleko makes her World Championships debut in Jakarta, marking a new chapter in her journey from Paris preparation to global competition, as she joins a strong national team flying the flag high for South African gymnastics.
Jakarta, Indonesia (20 October 2025) – The 2025 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships is making history in Jakarta, Indonesia. This marks the first time the global competition lands in Southeast Asia. From October 19 to 25, the world’s top gymnasts will compete for all-around and apparatus titles, with both gold medals and personal milestones on the line.
Among the athletes stepping into the spotlight is South Africa’s own Buhle Nhleko, who will make her debut on one of gymnastics’ grandest stages. For the 20-year-old, it’s a career-defining moment that reflects years of focus, persistence, and a steady rise through the international ranks.
Buhle enters the World Championships with valuable experience gained at last month’s World Challenge Cup in Paris, where she competed in the Vault and Floor events. Her top-16 finish on Vault and composed performance on Floor have served as important preparation. A performance that laid the groundwork for an even stronger showing in Jakarta.
Her approach this season has been one of balance and growth. Building confidence, refining execution, and embracing every opportunity to compete against the best in the world.
Representing South Africa alongside seasoned Olympians Caitlin Rooskrantz and Naveen Daries, Buhle forms part of a team that continues to raise the profile of gymnastics nationally and abroad.
View this post on Instagram
The trio is coached by Ilse Pelser at Johannesburg’s JGC Gymnastics Club and exemplifies the strength and promise of South African women’s gymnastics on the world stage.
As she takes to the competition floor in Jakarta for the first time, Buhle carries her own dreams and the hopes of a growing gymnastics community in South Africa.
by 