Cricket South Africa (CSA) has unveiled the 2025 intake for its prestigious Emerging Academy, naming a talented group of male and female players set to benefit from elite training and development at the CSA Centre of Excellence in Tshwane.
The Emerging Academy is designed to accelerate the transition of standout youth and provincial players to the national level through high-performance coaching, mentoring, and tailored skills programs. The 2025 cohort will assemble in June after completing their respective Emerging tours to Bangladesh from 6–27 May.
Top youth talent selected for CSA Emerging Academy 2025
The programme continues its focus on bridging the gap between domestic and international cricket under the expert guidance of Malibongwe Maketa (Men) and Dinesha Devnarain (Women).
CSA Head of High Performance Grant van Velden emphasized the academy’s role in talent development:
“The Emerging Academy remains a cornerstone of our development pathway, providing a high-performance platform to identify, nurture, and upskill the most promising talent in South African cricket.”
He added: “Congratulations to the class of 2025. We look forward to seeing you grow, both as cricketers and as individuals, in the months ahead.”
2025 CSA Emerging Academy – Men’s Squad
- Schalk Englebrecht (Momentum Multiply Titans)
- Connor Esterhuizen (DP World Lions)
- Thobile Hlatuka (Eastern Cape Iinyathi)
- Tristan Luus (Hollywoodbets Dolphins)
- Dewan Marais (Eastern Storm)
- Nqobani Mokoena (Hollywoodbets Dolphins)
- Romashan Pillay (Hollywoodbets Dolphins)
- Meeka-eel Prince (Renault North West Dragons)
- Richard Seletswane (DP World Lions)
- Ntando Soni (Hollywoodbets Dolphins)
- George van Heerden (Six Gun Grill Garden Route Badgers)
- Tiaan Van Vuuren (Knights)
- Ntando Zuma (ACDC Express Tuskers)
2025 CSA Emerging Academy – Women’s Squad
- Alex Candler (Hollywoodbets Dolphins)
- Jenna Evans (DP World Lions)
- Gandhi Jafta (Fidelity Titans)
- Leah Jones (World Sports Betting Western Province)
- Mona-Lisa Legodi (Fidelity Titans)
- Tebogo Macheke (Fidelity Titans)
- Seshnie Naidu (Hollywoodbets Dolphins)
- Luyanda Nzuza (Knights)
- Verunissa Reddy (Knights)
- Kayla Reyneke (World Sports Betting Western Province)
- Nondumiso Shangase (Hollywoodbets Dolphins)
- Oluhle Siyo (World Sports Betting Western Province)
- Miane Smit (Knights)
- Faye Tunnicliffe (World Sports Betting Western Province)
- Caitlyn Wyngaard (World Sports Betting Western Province)
The 2025 Emerging Academy features future stars from every corner of the domestic system, with several players already boasting international or SA U19 experience — including Proteas Women trio Seshnie Naidu, Nondumiso Shangase, and Faye Tunnicliffe.
