From humble beginnings of fishing with a rudimentary fishing line at the local Lundevhe River in Tshifudi, master angler Calvin Rudzani Nwendamutswu is rapidly making a name for himself in the angling world. In 2023, Nwendamutswu, who hails from the rural Tshifudi village, earned his Protea colours from the South African Freshwater Bank Angling Federation (SAFBAF). This achievement has spurred him on to hone his skills even further.

Nwendamutswu, a member of the LaBeouf Fishing Club and a director at the Limpopo Department of Public Works, recently added another accolade to his impressive list. On Saturday, 15 June, he was honoured at the South African Sports Angling and Casting Confederation (SASACC) Awards, held in Edenvale, Johannesburg. This event, the first of its kind by SASACC, saw participation from all eight fishing federations in South Africa.

Teams and individuals who represented South Africa in Protea and SASACC teams in 2023 were awarded and capped, alongside the previous executives. Reflecting on his latest honour, Nwendamutswu could not hide his excitement.

“It is an honour and a privilege to be part of the first ceremony of this kind, especially for someone like me who comes from a disadvantaged background, where professional angling is unheard of. I form part of the history of capping anglers for the first time, and I am proud to be capped after winning my first international gold medal when our masters won against Namibia last November. The caps we received each have a unique number that will never be issued to anyone else, which makes me even more excited,” he said.