Akhona Makalima: Meet Africa’s most stylish female referee
Africa's first certified female football referee Akhona Makalima is the pure definition of style and ambition. The 33-year-old South African uses her position to create opportunities for women and girls alike.
In 2016, Makalima launched a program; Inter-Refs, where she teaches girls from age 7 and above about the laws of football with the hope of creating a generation of women to follow in her footsteps.
Makalima also established her own women's sports academy focused on empowerment and mentorship that offers opportunities for girls from disadvantaged backgrounds to engage in sports.
Raised in a poor community in Eastern Cape, Akhona became known in her village at a young age for her speed. She was then encouraged to run track and play soccer and other sports. A lack of sports programs and leagues, however, led her to pick up refereeing. By the age of 23, Akhona was travelling the country refereeing matches.
Eventually, she became FIFA-accredited, the only female referee to pass the association’s fitness test and referee in South Africa’s top professional soccer league.
The revered PSL referee recently wrapped up 2021 in fine style. Makalima was recognised for her achievements in Sports when she bagged the Estée Lauder Style Star of the Year Award at the Momentum gSport Awards.
Makalima bagged her award just a few days after FIFA nominated her as a candidate for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup that will be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand.
Akhona is part of the Womentum Tribe, a class of powerful women from different disciplines who are spearheading the #SheOwnsHerSuccess campaign. They inspire other women towards unapologetically owning their success by sharing their own journeys to success.
With regards to gender biases in sports, Makalima was confident to share her strong thoughts during an Interview. “You need to work on yourself to prove yourself – to yourself as well – that you are capable. “You need to stop doubting and owning your ability. The sports industry is fraught with gender issues and many women have been told over time that they are not good enough."
“I worked hard to be here, and I didn’t want to get here by being just a quota or to fill up numbers – I want equality because I am equal in strength, ability, and desire. You have to invest in yourself to say that you are able to take up that kind of space,” she said.
The trailblazing referee is also an exuberance of beauty and brains as she earned a national diploma in human resource management from King Hintsa FET College. Outside of refereeing, she hosts the “Women’s Sports Buffet” program for Keith Ngesi Radio (South African Radio), serves as a nationwide motivational speaker, and dreams of one day opening her own smoothie bar.
