Chasing the Dream: Mayenzeke Gwija on Bush Radio

 Some people spend their 30s reflecting on what could have been. Mayenzeke Gwija, a 38-year-old wheelchair tennis player from Khayelitsha, is using his to chase what still could be.

Bush Radio caught up with Gwija last week, on July 31st, and what came through most clearly was a man still hungry for a bigger stage — even as the road there keeps getting harder.

Gwija's tennis journey began years ago after he took up the sport in the absence of many other options for athletes with disabilities in his community. Since then, he's built himself into one of South Africa's most recognisable wheelchair tennis players, competing under the International Tennis Federation's official Wheelchair Tennis Tour and representing both the Western Cape and the country on court.

That progress was on full display just weeks ago. Gwija travelled to Limpopo to compete at the ITF World Tennis WC50 Enrique Esteire Polokwane Open, where he reached the singles semi-finals and made it all the way to the doubles final — a strong showing that reinforced his standing as one of the country's leading players in the sport.

Speaking to Bush Radio, Gwija was candid about what drives him. His ambition isn't just about winning matches — it's about pulling on the national colours and competing across Africa. That goal has kept him on court year after year, even when the odds of getting there haven't always been in his favour.

What makes Gwija's story resonate isn't just the results — it's what it takes to get to them. Money, not talent, has consistently been his biggest hurdle. Simple necessities that most competitive athletes take for granted — replacement tyres and tubes for his wheelchair, tennis balls, racquets, and travel costs to tournaments — are often out of reach. Overseas opportunities, in particular, have slipped by simply because the funding wasn't there to get him on the plane.

It's a familiar story for many athletes with disabilities in South Africa: recognition on paper, but little financial backing to match. Gwija's determination to keep competing anyway, despite those constraints, is part of what makes his Polokwane result so significant.

At 38, in a sport where athletes are often thought to be past their peak years, Gwija isn't slowing down. He continues to train and compete out of Khayelitsha, hoping that greater support and sponsorship will finally allow him to chase his continental dream without financial setbacks holding him back.

His message on Bush Radio was ultimately one of resilience — a reminder that talent and drive can only take an athlete so far without the resources to match, and a call for the kind of backing that could help turn his recent form into something bigger on the African stage.

Catch backchat on Bush Radio 89.5 FM bringing conversations that inform, inspire and connect communities across the world.