All eyes on Cape Town as Netball World Cup arrives in SA

As Banyana Banyana navigate through their World Cup in New Zealand, there's the significant matter of the Netball World Cup that starts in Cape Town on Thursday.

The joy about netball being an indoor sport is that it's not going to be beholden by the nasty, yet necessary Western Cape winter, which should make for far better viewing.

It's the first time South Africa gets to host the event, which is running for the 16th time, although the tournament is celebrating its 60th anniversary having begun in 1963 in a different format.

South Africa goes into the tournament not as favourites, but as a team that is expected to at least reach the playoffs.

It's important they make that stage to keep local interest in the tournament, especially with netball battling for popularity next to soccer, rugby and cricket.

South Africa kick off their tournament against Wales in Group C, which also includes Jamaica and Sri Lanka.

There will be earlier games on Thursday to warm up the courts before the main battle later in the evening.

The tournament will comprise two group phases before the knock-outs and placement games, with the knockout games being semi-finals.

There are 16 teams in the tournament and there will be 60 matches in total, with South Africa playing against Sri Lanka on Friday (16:00) and Jamaica on Saturday (18:00).

The second preliminary stage will run from 31 July to 3 August, where the top three teams from each group will form new groups (Group A and B will form Group F, while Group C and D will form Group G).

The bottom teams from each group will form Group E and will battle against the losers from Group F and Group G in the placement game.

The semi-finals will take place against the top two teams from Groups F and G between 4 and 6