Betty Maxama is a sports marketing and events professional, broadcaster and passionate advocate for women making their mark in the South African sporting industry.
Born in Gqeberha and now based in Pretoria, Maxama’s journey in sport has taken her across different sides of the industry, from sports administration, marketing and sponsorship activation to event management, fundraising and live broadcasting. Her career has been shaped by a desire not only to be part of sport, but to contribute meaningfully to how sport is experienced, marketed and communicated.
A three-time University of Pretoria graduate and former TuksFootball player, Maxama’s connection with the university and TuksSport has played an important role in shaping her personal and professional journey. Through her involvement in the TuksSport environment, she has gained experience working across sporting events, commercial partnerships, sponsorships, activations and athlete-focused initiatives.
Her background as a former TuksFootball player has also given her a deeper understanding of sport from an athlete’s perspective. It has allowed her to appreciate the discipline, commitment and teamwork required on the field, while also understanding the importance of the work happening behind the scenes to support athletes and sporting programmes.
Maxama has built experience both behind the scenes and in front of the camera and microphone. Broadcasting has become one of the areas closest to her heart, with her work spanning netball, cricket and football as she continues to establish herself as a recognisable voice in South African sport.
She recently made her on-screen debut with Women’s Varsity Football, adding another milestone to a growing broadcasting portfolio. Her experience includes tournaments such as the DStv Schools Netball Challenge and the South Africa U19 Women’s cricket series against Ireland U19. Each opportunity has allowed her to sharpen her skills as a commentator, analyst and presenter.
Her broadcasting journey has also opened doors into live sports television, including opportunities with SuperSport. For Maxama, these moments represent more than simply being on screen. They are reminders of what is possible when she continues to knock on doors, create opportunities and remain persistent, even when access to the industry is not always easy.
Beyond broadcasting, Maxama’s experience in sports marketing has given her a strong understanding of the business side of sport. Her work includes creating activations, managing sponsorship visibility, supporting commercial partnerships, coordinating sporting events and developing campaigns that connect brands, athletes, students and sporting communities.
She is particularly passionate about creating meaningful experiences around sport and believes its impact extends far beyond what happens on the field. Sport creates opportunities, builds communities, tells stories and gives people a platform to be seen and heard.
Her journey has not always been straightforward. Like many women navigating the sports industry, Maxama has had to continuously prove herself, create opportunities and remain persistent in an environment where access and visibility can sometimes be challenging. Instead of allowing those barriers to define her, she has used them as motivation to keep learning, showing up and building her portfolio.
For Maxama, being a woman in sport means taking up space in every room she enters, whether she is working on a major sporting event, negotiating a sponsorship activation, coordinating an athlete campaign or sitting behind a microphone preparing to call a game.
Her ambition extends beyond simply having a job in sport. She wants to build a long-term career that brings together her strengths in sports marketing, events, media and broadcasting, while contributing to the continued development of sport in South Africa.
At the heart of her journey is a simple belief: she does not want to wait for opportunities, she wants to create them.
As the sporting industry continues to evolve, Maxama hopes to inspire other young women to recognise that there is space for them in sport, whether as athletes, administrators, marketers, broadcasters, coaches, entrepreneurs or leaders.
Her story is still being written, but one thing remains clear: Betty Maxama is determined to make her voice heard both on and off the field.