Netball South Africa Appoints Adam Brooke as CEO in Rebuilding Push
Adam Brooke | Image by Netball South Africa
February 13, 2026 - Netball South Africa has appointed Adam Brooke as chief executive officer, effective 1 March 2026, closing a leadership gap that had been open since the previous CEO's contract ended in November 2025. The hire gives the federation a permanent commercial lead for the first time in months, at a point where its executive has made organisational rebuilding its stated priority.
The appointment followed what the federation describes as an extensive recruitment process. NSA President Mami Diale mentioned the appointment to be central to the executive's mandate: "One of the key priorities of the Executive was to appoint a permanent Chief Executive Officer who will serve for the duration of our term of office. To deliver on our mandate, it is essential that we have a stable, high-performing leadership team in place. We are pleased with the outcome of a rigorous and transparent recruitment process and are confident that we have identified the right candidate to grow and strengthen the sport at all levels. As we continue rebuilding, it is critical that we appoint individuals with the right skill set, attitude and experience. As the Executive, we are confident that Adam Brooke is the right person to lead Netball South Africa forward," said Diale.
Brooke arrives with more than 20 years in sports management across marketing, event delivery, sponsorship, operations and governance, having worked for agencies, rights holders, sponsors, operators and venues in South Africa and abroad. His event CV includes the Tour de France, Africa Cup of Nations, FIFA World Cup, Olympic Games, ABSA Cape Epic and the Rugby World Cup.
"It is a great honour to be appointed as Chief Executive Officer of Netball South Africa. I am deeply committed to the growth and development of the sport and look forward to working closely with the Board, athletes, coaches, administrators, and partners to strengthen netball at every level. Netball has an incredible history in South Africa and enormous potential for the future. My focus will be on building strong systems, fostering unity across the netball community, and ensuring that the organisation is positioned for long-term sustainability and success," said Brooke.
The profile of the hire says something about where NSA thinks its problems are. Brooke is not a netball insider; he is an events and commercial operator. South African netball has the participation base and the national-team pedigree, the Proteas are a consistent top-five side - but the federation has struggled to convert that into stable revenue, and hosting the 2023 Netball World Cup in Cape Town did not translate into a lasting commercial platform. Bringing in someone whose career runs through sponsorship sales and major-event operations is the missing piece in commercial machinery rather than sporting expertise.
Diale concluded: "We have full confidence in Mr Brooke's leadership and believe that, together, we will achieve meaningful progress for netball in South Africa. While the road ahead will not be easy, with unity and determination we will continue to build and strengthen the sport for future generations."
