Content creator Stephanie Mawdsley, who shines a light on untold stories about women in football and has become a trusted social media source for the beautiful game, has solidified her success with a nomination for Sports Content Creator at the 2025 TikTok Awards in Sub-Saharan Africa following her finalist spot at the 2025 gsport Awards.
Mawdsley chatted to gsport about her career moves, and elaborated on how she got started in the industry.
“My career in media has been an interesting one so far – I started off quite young as an aspiring sports photographer and journalist while playing for JVW girls’ football development team, but while that was my passion, life and its responsibilities took over, and I ended up giving that passion up for a while, while I focused on my career.”
“I only recently picked up media again and started following my dreams in 2023, where I covered the FIFA Women’s World Cup on TikTok. I always knew it was my dream and always knew that was where I wanted to be; I just had to take a detour to get there.”
She added that this career path has given her the privilege of being able to put the spotlight on many untold stories.
“For me, sports media is about giving exposure to those who often are overlooked, stories that have not been told, and communities that are unseen.”
“Using my voice or platform to amplify the voice of others is something I take very personally, and being able to be on the ground and showcase the incredible talent we have in South Africa is what makes me wake up every day and try again.”
For her ongoing efforts in bringing new stories to the fore, Mawdsley was a finalist in the Women in Social Media category at the 2025 gsport Awards, and her reputation has been boosted continentally after she was named amongst the best in Sub-Saharan Africa as a nominee for the Sports Content Creator crown at the 2025 TikTok Awards.
“It is honestly surreal to be among the Top 5 in Sub-Saharan Africa, but also the top female – as I am the only girl nominated – is a testament to the girls I work with in the Real Brazilians, that nothing you dream of is impossible.”
“Being able to be a voice in women’s football in a highly male-dominated industry, hopefully, will open the doors for others like me to be brave enough to use their voice and support the sports they love”, she said.
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Mawdsley says the opportunity to attend this year’s gsport Awards was a surreal moment, but it also showed her the power of social media.
“At first, I had quite a bit of imposter syndrome – you see the Awards on television, see the faces you have looked up to on television, but to be at an event with them is something unreal.”
“I think for a long time people underestimated the power of social media, but social media got me sitting in the same row as Caster Semenya. The Awards are something I will never forget.”
As a content creator in sports media, networking is crucial to being able to get new and fresh content. Mawdsley says being Western Cape-based can be limiting, so being able to attend an event of this calibre where she met industry peers in person was special.
“As someone in sports media based in Cape Town, the opportunities to network are quite limited, so being able to attend the event in Johannesburg and be amongst the sports media personnel I have looked up to was incredible. While we can talk on social media and support each other, it is different when you actually meet them in person and can connect on a level other than a like on a post. I feel more connected to the sports community after attending the event.”
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She shared that meeting veteran sports broadcaster and 2025 Women in TV winner was her standout moment at the Awards.
“Gloria Brown – meeting her in person! What an absolutely legendary human being. It was so unreal to see her being recognised finally for the years and years of hard work and sacrifice she has made. To be able to witness that in real life and feel the emotion in the room while we all recognise a pillar of strength in women’s sports is something I will never forget.”
Coming back to Mawdsley’s job at hand, the content creator is hoping to amplify the stories of women’s football in a bid to create great gender parity for the women of the beautiful game.
“I see myself as a voice for women’s football and using my platform to share what our community is going through, but also the successes we have are my responsibility. It is never easy breaking into a male-dominated industry, but through my TikTok, I am able to tell the stories of our teams, local, development, and national teams to ensure our players are seen and recognised, but most importantly celebrated.”
Mawdsley’s crowning glory of her career thus far is being able to attend this year’s Women’s African Cup of Nations (WAFCON), where she shared Banyana Banyana’s progression to the final.
“Travelling to Morocco for the WAFCON sponsored by TikTok has by far been my dream come true. To be able to watch Banyana Banyana in action twice during the final stages of WAFCON and then the final of the WAFCON where Nigeria beat Morocco was incredible – being able to share that on my platform and being on the ground with the international media is a “pinch me” moment – I still get goosebumps thinking about it now!”
She also dedicates her time to the Sasol League team, the Real Brazilians from Dunoon in Cape Town, and hopes that one day she will be able to work for the Confederation of African Football.
“My biggest dream career is to work with CAF on developing women’s football across the African continent. Whether that is through journalism or sports photography, being able to motivate and strive towards empowering the African continent to grow the women’s game is something I am actively working towards.”
With the steady increase in women joining the world of sports social media, on the continent and around the world, Mawdsley loves being a part of building a sisterhood in the community.
“Seeing more women join our community is so exciting! As a woman part of the sports media community myself, I am the first to follow, like, and repost any fellow female sports media creator, because our voices matter, and regardless of the sport being covered, there are young girls looking up to us, and it’s our responsibility to pave the path for their future.”
Mawdsley also highlighted the big role that gsport plays in ensuring sportswomen and women in sport have a place to call home.
“gsport is the foundation where so many of us have been able to build connections and careers off of. Without that foundation, we would not have the community and platform to be able to push boundaries and tell the stories that deserve to be heard. Every great project or platform had to start somewhere, and gsport gives us that foundation to dare to dream.”
Main Photo Caption: Stephanie Mawdsley’s journey to becoming a highly regarded content creator has taken a less-than-traditional route, a voyage that has brought her widespread acclaim and success in building a name as one of the nation’s top voices in football, with a focus on the women’s game. All Photos: Supplied
Photo 2 Caption: “My biggest dream career is to work on developing women’s football across the African continent, to grow the women’s game is something I am actively working towards.”
Photo 3 Caption: With the steady increase in women joining the world of sports social media, on the continent and around the world, Mawdsley loves being a part of building a sisterhood in the community.
