By Kerry-Lee Christensen
Maties Esports is no longer just another university club on campus. It’s a community growing faster than ever before, with support from the university creating many more opportunities to compete on both professional and amateur levels. The Maties Esports team has earned national recognition through their strong performances and talented players, competing in Valorant, Rocket League and FC25.
Not only has this impacted the esports community within Stellenbosch, but also the players themselves.
Logan Mercuur, a third-year BDatSci (Computer Science) student says that it’s impacted his university experience both “socially and personally. [It’s] definitely improved my life.”
Njabulo Marhwa, a third-year BSc (Sports Science) student, adds, “We have the same interests somehow, we all […] fit in like a puzzle, and we […] complement each other.”
Maties Esports also continues to open new doors for its members. Mbali Hlope, a second-year BCom (Management Sciences) student focusing on Information Systems Management, joined the Valorant team this year and says that it’s been an incredible learning experience. She says, “This year has been the first time trying competitive gaming and playing Valorant with a team and it has honestly been a great opportunity not to just get back into playing Valorant consistently, but also improving overall since I have been able to play with and against players with more experience.”
According to Hlope, “Typical training […] sessions [for Valorant] are usually in the evening. […] [In] some training sessions we’ll mainly focus on strategies for different maps as well as our comps for those maps by entering a custom and practicing. Practices can range from 2 to 3 hours, depending on what time we start that day. And sometimes at [the] end of practice some people choose to stop for the day [or] night, or continue queueing things like unrated, ranked or swiftplays either as a solo or duo.”
This rise in opportunities has also helped players connect with South Africa’s wider professional gaming scene. Marhwa says, “When we looked […] at the beginning of the year […], the big one was USSA. And this year, […] going to […] Varsity Esports. And so those two have been the goal. But then along the way throughout the year, we have these tournaments with competitive FIFA players […]. And it’s so cool to go from watching them on your TV, growing up […], to literally playing with them now.”
Of course, success doesn’t come without challenges.
Hlope says, “The […] main challenge for me would […] be time management and scheduling […]. Sometimes it’s really difficult to find time for solo and team practices because everyone’s schedules and timetables are different.”
As Maties Esports continues to grow, it’s clear that this is more than just gaming. It’s about connection, opportunity and community.
