Cricket South Africa (CSA) have congratulated Proteas men’s Test captain, Temba Bavuma, on being named among the TIME100 Most Influential Sports People of 2026 by global publication, TIME Magazine.
As captain, Bavuma has led the Proteas Test team with distinction in recent years, winning 11 of his first 12 Tests in charge.
The Time100 accolade coincides with the first anniversary of Bavuma leading the South African Test team to one of their greatest triumphs – the ICC World Test Championship title victory at Lord’s Cricket Ground in June 2025. They beat Australia in the final.
Bavuma is also ranked inside the top 10 of the Test batting rankings.
‘Well-deserved’
CSA Chief Executive Officer, Pholetsi Moseki, congratulated Bavuma on the global recognition.
“On behalf of Cricket South Africa and the entire cricketing fraternity, we extend our heartfelt congratulations to Temba on this incredible and well-deserved recognition.
“Being named among the TIME100 Most Influential People is a powerful acknowledgement of his impact globally, both on and off the field as he continues to inspire young cricketers and South Africans from all walks of life.
“Temba’s journey is one of perseverance and purpose, and we are immensely proud to see him receive acclaimed recognition for the influence he continues to have in shaping the future of the game and society,” said Moseki.
‘More successes than setbacks’
Time say of Bavuma: “Temba has always carried more than the weight of his shirt. As one of just a handful of Black South African cricketers, his successes were lauded as a turning point for the sport. But any setbacks were never merely his own.
“Fortunately, Bavuma has enjoyed many more successes than setbacks. In 2016, he became the first Black South African to hit a century (scoring 100 or more runs in an inning), and five years later he was his nation’s first Black captain.
“Last year, Bavuma led South Africa to a historic Test series win in India as well as victory in the World Test Championship (WTC), besting a heavily favored Australia in the final and emerging from the tournament undefeated. It was South Africa’s first international title since 1998 and owed much to Bavuma’s heroic 66 runs in the final despite his being hobbled by a hamstring strain.”
For Time’s full list of 100 most influential sports people of 2026 click here.
