Amy Ackerman and Johanita Scholtz continued their domination in the All Africa Championships when they won the women’s doubles gold medal at the 2026 edition at the University of Botswana Indoor Sports Centre. South Africa won three medals, in the women’s singles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles.
For the 20-year-old Ackerman, this was the fifth time she has won the women’s doubles, and the third with Scholtz, who successfully defended their title from 2025 in Cameroon. Ackerman also twice won with her partner Deidre Lourens in 2023 and 2024.
Ackerman also finished with a silver medal in the mixed doubles with her partner Caden Kakora.
Scholtz, a Team SA Olympian from Paris, is the more experienced of the two, and she picked up a silver medal in the women’s singles, to add to her doubles gold. The 25-year-old Scholtz, the No4 seed, was beaten in a three-set thriller in the final, going down to No1 seed Fadilah Mohamed Rafi 21-17, 16-21, 21-19.
HOW SOUTH AFRICA FARED
Men’s singles
*7 Caden Kakora won all the way through to the quarter-finals where he lost to No4 seed Georges Paul
Anthony Phillips reached the the round of 32 where he lost to No1 seed Driss Bourroum
Michael Vigario lost in the Last 64 to No15 seed Mohamed Ouchefoun
Ricardo Vigario lost in the Last 64 to Kethabanetswe Godknows
Misha Bredell was beaten in the round of 32 by No2 seed Adham Elgamal
Women’s singles
Chloe Lai lost in the Last 64 to Fatima Rabie
Elme de Villiers reached the Last 16 where she lost to Chiara How Kong
SILVER! *4 Johanita Scholtz reached the final where she lost to No1 seed Fadilah Mohamed Rafi
Men’s doubles
*6 Caden Kakora and Anthony Phillips reached the quarter-finals where they were beaten by the No1 seeds Koceila Mammeri and Youcef Medel
Michael Vigario and Ricardo Vigario reached the Last 32 where they lost to No2 seeds Mohamed Belarbi and Adel Hamek
Women’s doubles
GOLD! *1 Amy Ackerman and Johanita Scholtz didn’t drop a set as they went all the way to winning the final 21-18, 21-17 against O4 seeds Nour Youssri and Doha Hany
Mixed doubles
Ricardo Vigario and Chloe Lai reached the Last 16 where they lost to No1 seeds Koceila Mammeri and Tanina Mammeri
SILVER! Caden Kakora and Amy Ackerman won through to the final where they lost to No1 seeds Koceila Mammeri and Tanina Mammeri 21-12, 21-9
Miguel Vicario and Anri Schoones won through to the Last 16 where they were beaten by No2 seeds Adham Elgamal and Doha Hany
