Team South Africa secured 16 medals and world championship qualification spots during an impressive campaign at the African Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Cameroon.
Yaoundé, Cameroon (04 May 2026) – South African gymnastics enjoyed a memorable week in Cameroon as the country’s athletes delivered one strong performance after another at the 19th African Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Yaoundé.
From senior stars securing World Championship qualification to junior gymnasts announcing themselves on the continental stage, Team South Africa wrapped up the competition with an impressive 16 medals across team, all-around and apparatus events.
Among the standout moments was Daniel McLean’s gold medal-winning routine in the Senior Men’s Floor Exercise final, where he was crowned African champion after an excellent display that capped off a confident showing from the South African men’s squad.
The senior women’s team also enjoyed a successful campaign, led by Caitlin Rooskrantz, who continued to cement her place among Africa’s leading gymnasts. She secured qualification for the 2026 World Championships through her performances in the all-around competition, where she earned a silver medal thanks to her consistency across all apparatus.
Teammate Naveen Daries also booked her place at the World Championships after finishing fourth overall in the all-around standings.
South Africa’s senior women’s team of Rooskrantz, Karma Visagie, Naveen Daries, Zelme Daries and Buhle Nhleko added another silver medal in the team event, once again showcasing the growing strength of women’s gymnastics in the country.
The team’s stand-in assistant coach, Martinette Marais, spoke on the team’s resilience despite setbacks.
“Under very challenging circumstances, they rose to the occasion and gave it everything they had. True South African ambassadors. Beyond proud of this team.”
The senior men’s team of Travis Giles, Kadin Chester, Daniel McLean and Ruan Lange also impressed by securing bronze in the team competition. Coach Derick Scholtz praised the spirit shown by his athletes throughout the championships.
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“Really proud of the positive energy the men had during the event. We had mistakes, some big ones but at each new rotation the men were energised again. Great effort from the guys.”
South Africa’s junior gymnasts also made their mark with several exciting performances from athletes competing at the continental level for the first time.
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The junior women’s team of Ariana Viljoen, Sophia Badenhorst, Lila Du Plessis, Zia Davids and Kalyna Rouquette secured silver in the team competition, while Du Plessis added bronze medals in the all-around and Uneven Bars events. Viljoen also claimed bronze in the Floor Exercise final.
The junior men’s team of Gethin Davies-Vaneetvelde, Cody Alexander, Frederik Davies-Vaneetvelde, Tapiwa Mkandawire and Musawende Mncube added another silver medal for South Africa after an excellent showing in the team event.
Frederik Davies-Vaneetvelde enjoyed a particularly memorable championship, collecting bronze in the individual all-around competition as well as medals in multiple apparatus finals.
The performances in Yaoundé not only brought medals and major milestones for Team South Africa but also offered another encouraging glimpse into the bright future of South African gymnastics.
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