Joanivia: Inspiring a family, community and nation

Young Namibian tennis star Joanivia Bezuidenhout (16) has inspired her family, community and nation through her love for the game and her success on the court.

The star, who hails from Okahandja, has become Namibia’s top junior player since taking up the sport eight years ago. She says she fell in love with the game from the start.

“I started playing when I was eight-and-a-half. One day, my dad was walking home from work and passed by the tennis court, where he saw coaches teaching small children. When he got home, he asked me if I was interested in tennis. At that time, I was doing netball and athletics, so I went to the tennis court that afternoon. The coaches gave me a racket, and I remember playing with a four-year-old girl, just rolling the ball to each other. I still remember that day like it was yesterday. I had so much fun, and that’s where I got my love for tennis because I was just thinking about having fun,” she adds.

Joanivia’s father, Jandre, supported her from the start and became involved in her developing tennis career.

“One day she told me, ‘Papa, I want to focus on tennis, I want to take it further.’ So I said, ‘Ok, I will support you,” he says.

“At first, Joanivia received coaching from Kallie’s Tennis School in Windhoek, and I drove her there maybe twice a week. But we live at Okahandja, and the petrol was expensive, so I also started coaching her at Okahandja. In the beginning, I just learnt as I carried on from Kallie and SP van Wyk, and then later, I did a tennis coaching course.”

Joanivia’s natural talent, determination, and hard work soon shone through, and by the age of 11, she had become the top u12 player in Namibia. Since then, she has maintained her ranking through to u18 level, although her doubles partner, Mari van Schalkwyk, is currently ranked one, with Joanivia at number two.

The two girls have also become Namibia’s top players at senior level, as they are now ranked one and two among the seniors.

In 2023, Joanivia (then 14) represented Namibia’s senior women’s team at the Billie Jean Cup for the first time and will now once again compete at the tournament for the third year in a row.

“I’ve been working really hard since I started tennis. I’ve just been having fun, and the results have followed. My dedication to the sport, discipline, and hard work have helped me get to where I am. I didn’t let things get in my way, like focusing on other people,” she says.

“I focused on myself and every match, concentrating on hitting the ball. I would say I’m really happy with where I am in my tennis career, but I would love to take it up a notch,” she adds.

Jandre shares that tennis has helped him and their family a lot.

“Tennis has been very good for me and for our family. I went through a rough patch, and tennis became like a remedy, supporting my daughter. From there, her siblings also got involved in the sport. Her sister, who is now 10 years old, is also number one in the u12 category, while her brother is the number one u12 player,” he says.

“But the inspiration that Joanivia has been goes beyond the family: it’s also felt at Okahandja. It’s a small town, and I was quite proud yesterday when we could stand with the commissioner, with me as the competition manager and Joanivia as a player, along with other children and officials from Okahandja. She has inspired more than just a family: she’s inspired a community, and she is busy inspiring a nation,” he says.

Jandre notes that tennis is an expensive sport to manage, especially with the travel costs to other tournaments in southern Africa. He calls on corporations for support.

“I’d like to appeal to corporates to support us because tennis is such an individual sport. It’s really tough for parents to make it to tournaments and build up ranking points, which I think is one of the biggest challenges in Namibia. We have some good young players, but they don’t get enough exposure,” he says.

Meanwhile, Joanivia is determined to reach the top in her sport.

“I want to play all four Grand Slams and be remembered as one of the greatest tennis players. I know it’s a really tough journey, but if I believe it, I can achieve it,” she says.

She also expresses gratitude for her father’s support and pride in his progress.

“When I started playing tennis, my dad didn’t know anything about it, but he was with me at every practice session. He started learning, and now he’s a development coach at Okahandja. I honestly didn’t know that I was helping him so much, so I’m also proud of him and how far he has come.

“Now he’s being recognised in Namibia, and also coaching me. I’m really happy that we have that special bond. Even when things don’t go our way, we still keep fighting and stay positive.”

In an age of information overload, Sunrise is The Namibian’s morning briefing, delivered at 6h00 from Monday to Friday. It offers a curated rundown of the most important stories from the past 24 hours – occasionally with a light, witty touch. It’s an essential way to stay informed. Subscribe and join our newsletter community.