South Africa will chase a record-extending 13th All Africa Teams Championship title in October after GolfRSA named a four-man squad to defend the continental crown the country won in Zimbabwe in 2024.
The biennial championship will be contested from 13-18 October at the Golf Citrus La Forêt Course in Hammamet, Tunisia. Ivan Verster, CJ van Wyk, reigning South African Amateur champion Judd Sundelson and debutant Jonathan Wilsenach will represent South Africa, guided by South African Golf Association President Peet van Schalkwyk as team manager.
Anchoring the side is Verster, who returns with a wealth of international experience after playing a key role in South Africa's victorious All Africa campaign in 2024 and helping the country capture the 2025 Africa Region 5 title in Botswana. The Southern Cape golfer arrives in excellent form after finishing runner-up in the South African Stroke Play Championship.
Joining Verster is GolfRSA Open Rankings leader CJ van Wyk, also from Southern Cape, who has enjoyed a superb season highlighted by two provincial victories and made a winning international debut when he helped South Africa lift the Africa Region 5 title in Eswatini.
Reigning South African Amateur champion Judd Sundelson, from Central Gauteng, earned his first cap for South Africa in that same victorious Africa Region 5 campaign and will look to build on another outstanding season.
Completing the line-up is first-time representative Jonathan Wilsenach, whose maiden national cap follows a breakthrough campaign that lifted him to sixth in the GolfRSA Open Rankings. The Ekurhuleni golfer has amassed five top-10 finishes this season and reached the quarter-finals of the South African Amateur Championship.
Van Schalkwyk, who guided South Africa to a historic Eisenhower Trophy victory last year, believes the squad has what it takes to continue the country's proud legacy in African amateur golf. "We've selected a team that rewards consistency, current form and proven ability under pressure," he said. "Ivan provides a strong foundation with his experience at this championship, while CJ and Judd have already shown how quickly they adapted to international golf during our successful Africa Region 5 campaign earlier this year. Jonathan has enjoyed an outstanding season and has thoroughly earned his first opportunity to represent South Africa."
"Representing your country is always a privilege, and with that comes responsibility," Van Schalkwyk added. "South Africa has built an incredible legacy in this championship, and every nation wants to test itself against us. We respect the challenge ahead, but we also believe in this group. They have the talent, character and work ethic to uphold our proud tradition and give themselves every opportunity to bring the trophy home once again."
GolfRSA CEO Grant Hepburn said the selection reflected the depth of talent within South African amateur golf. "This team is another excellent example of the strength of our high-performance pathway," Hepburn said. "Each of these players has earned selection through sustained excellence over the course of the season. Together they represent an exciting blend of experience, proven success and emerging talent, which bodes well for South African amateur golf."
"The All Africa Teams Championship remains one of the continent's premier amateur events, and it provides another opportunity for our players to showcase the standard of South African golf on the international stage," Hepburn said. "We have every confidence in Peet and the team, and we wish them every success as they pursue a record-extending 13th All Africa Teams Championship title."