PeacePlayers South Africa Storybook FINAL - Flipbook - Page 99
to play the game. Skhumbuzo considered them to be two of his role models and would even
begin walking to school with them.
In 2008, Skhumbuzo was formally introduced to playing basketball at Addington in Grade
7. By the end of his first City-Wide Tournament in Grade 7 with PeacePlayers, he was the
best shooter on the team. After playing the game competitively in a structured setting,
Skhumbuzo says, "It felt God-given." After the tournament, he'd go home to Albert Park to
practice religiously with his peers.
Skhumbuzo attended Durban High School (DHS), where the basketball culture was well
respected locally. He began to get a taste of this spotlight at DHS when he took his game to
the next level. In 2014, he began to play in South Africa's Basketball National League from
the KwaZulu-Natal Marlins. Later, Skhu was selected for the South Africa Under 20 team
and the KwaZulu-Natal men's team. He was at the right place, at the right time, because
since that year there hasn't been a provincial team.
Skhumbuzo has expanded his horizons while watching PeacePlayer grow to a global
organisation. While the organisation has launched in multiple other countries since his
time, he's also traveled the world to Zimbabwe, Botswana, Kenya, Ghana, and China because
of the game of basketball. Most recently, Skhumbuzo led his professional basketball team,
the Egolic Magic, to a two-time championship victory where he was selected as an all-star.
Last year he played for the Cape Town Tigers where he represented South Africa in the
NBA’s Basketball Africa League. He's been on the brightest stages in the country, which was
once a dream when he was in Grade 5.
Skhumbuzo says, "I'll never forget where it all started for me - with PeacePlayers, right
here at Addington Primary School." When he’s home, you’ll find him reconnecting with
the PeacePlayers by volunteering at every major event and lending his car to contribute
toward event logistics. Skhumbuzo has achieved a lot of success in basketball, yet he’s never
forgotten to serve the next generation every opportunity he gets.
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