Noluthando Makalima will represent South Africa at the World Para Surfing Championships in Oceanside, California, from 2 – 7 November 2025. Based in Khayelitsha, she is training to deliver her best performance. To participate, she needs to raise money to cover travel, accommodation and related expenses.
Like many sportswomen, Makalima must self-fund her participation. A BackABuddy page has raised a small amount of the funding needed as all World Championship participants are responsible for their own costs.
As a member of the Roxy Davis Foundation, Makalima shared with gsport what participating in this prestigious international competition means to her. She discussed her start in surfing, her efforts to secure funding, and how the sport has helped her demonstrate that limitations can be redefined through discipline.
Makalima received a Ministerial Recognition of Excellence Award at the 2020 gsport Awards.
Makalima, who has cerebral palsy, is an accomplished athlete. She won gold at the 2019 Adaptive SA Championship, qualifying for the World Adaptive Championships. She went on to win silver at the 2020 World Championships in California and became the first black female adaptive surfer to represent South Africa.
As a single mother, Makalima hopes her participation in the World Championship will help secure a brighter future for her child.
Thank you so much for chatting to gsport Noluthando, you will be heading to another World Championship. How excited are you to be at the event?
I am so blessed and excited. At the same time, I am anxious, I am not only going to represent myself but my country, so it’s a big thing to me, and my dream is to do well in all of this.
How difficult is it for you to get sponsorship?
I went to California in 2020 to represent South Africa in the Para Surf World Championships. I managed to raise R75,000. I told my story on a radio station; it was not easy to get that appointment with the media.
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There was an anonymous donor who sponsored me. I had more time in 2020 than I do now to raise the money. It is very difficult to get sponsorship.
Do you have to fund yourself when it comes to surfing and attending competitions?
Yes, I do have to fund myself. Surfing and competing globally is expensive; the high exchange rate also makes things more difficult.
What message do you have to potential sponsors as to why they should sponsor you?
My message to the sponsors is: I need help to get to World Champs. Why? Because I want to inspire people. Not just people with disabilities, but everyone, and I want to be a role model to the younger generation.
At the 2020 and 2022 World Championships, I placed second and fifth, respectively. I have a dream, but it is not yet achieved. My dream is a tough one; my dream is to get a gold medal.
When did you start surfing?
I started in 2014, it was on the first weekend of December and we were celebrating World Disabilities Day.
What is it about surfing that you love?
I love surfing because it helps me to let go of my stress. When I am riding the wave, it also helps me with my disability.
How has surfing changed your life?
Surfing has changed my life in many different ways. First, I am known as a role model to my peers, and I believe I am also an inspiration, and that is what I want to be.
What does it mean to you to be a woman participating in para-surfing?
I am so blessed, and I do not take this for granted because to be a woman in sport came with lots of struggle. One of those struggles is getting funding and sponsors.
What does it mean to you to be a role model to other girls and women as a para surfer?
I call myself an inspiration. Being a role model is one of the blessings in my life. Even when my child is looking at me, she sees a strong woman who is brave and an inspiration not only to people with disabilities but to everyone.
How has being part of the Roxy Davis Foundation changed your life?
It has changed my life in so many ways. At first, I was afraid of speaking in public, like doing interviews. The Roxy Davis Foundation has also helped me to change the mindset of people in terms of how people with disabilities can do adaptive surfing.
What message do you have for young girls who are looking to become para surfers?
Never stop having a dream when you still have life, and make your disability your strength.
Main Photo Caption: Noluthando Makalima has been selected to represent South Africa at the World Para Surfing Championships in Oceanside, California in the USA, from 2 to 7 November 2025. All Photos: Supplied
Photo 2 Caption: Based in Khayelitsha, she is training to deliver her best performance.
Photo 3 Caption: To participate, Makalima needs to raise money to cover travel, accommodation and related expenses.
Photo 4 Caption: “Being a role model is one of the blessings in my life. Even when my child is looking at me, she sees a strong woman who is brave and an inspiration.”
