Ametisse Bandu giving it her all for Wits

After overcoming a two-month knee injury that almost ruled her out of Varsity Netball 2026, Ametisse Bandu has returned to court, putting in one stellar performance after the other for Wits.

Since being back, she has shown the hunger she's always had for the game and made her presence felt. She says the healing journey was tough as it was the first major injury of her sporting career.

“It took a toll on my mental health because I never really had injuries in my sporting career. It was really tough sitting out and watching, but I learned a lot. Watching from the sidelines opened my eyes to see what I couldn't see before.”

Bandu says what kept her strong during her recovery journey was her faith and the support of her family, friends and teammates.

“I'm a very spiritual person so I fell back on the word of God and that kept me pushing. I also have a very good support system, my friends and family helped me a lot.”

She says putting on the Wits dress again after a long wait was everything she wanted it to be, as she was hungry to showcase her talent again.

“It has been a long time coming, I didn't really play much netball. I just wanted to go on that court and dominate. My hunger is just to go out there and play netball and enjoy every minute, I think that makes me different.”

It was the “vibes” of Varsity Netball she missed the most, says Bandu. 

“Just being back in that environment, the atmosphere that Varsity Netball brings is amazing. I love the atmosphere, the crowd, and the two-point powerplay initiatives that they brought. It feels so electric playing at home, especially when there's a big crowd. We feed off their energy, everyone is rooting for us, so it's so amazing to be there to play on that stage again.”

Bandu says her main goals for netball are clear.

"If we go on that court and play as a unit and play every single game for each other, that will bring me great satisfaction. The season we would want to make the semi-finals … and individually it is to build steps into the national team. There are still smaller hurdles that I need to overcome before that can actually come to light.”