St Joseph’s Preparatory and College is bursting with pride as grade 10 pupil Inam Ntikinca, 16, was recently honoured with the senior rising star award at the Eastern Cape Majorette and Cheerleading Association (ECMCA) Provincial Championships.
This award is given to a young majorette who demonstrates exceptional skill, growth, leadership, and dedication in the sport.
Her journey began at Gonubie Primary School, where at just 10 years old, she watched a school majorette performance that sparked a dream.
“The drill, the costumes, the colour, everything was so beautiful and eye-catching.
“I thought to myself, ‘what if I could also do that?’”
Since then, Inam has grown into a talented and hardworking majorette. She now competes with the Phoenix Majorette Squad, an East London-based team made up of girls aged 14-18 from various high schools.
For the past two years, she has been training under experienced coaches Calista and Gareth Stanton, who have coached Phoenix since 2017.
Earlier this year, Inam also received her Eastern Cape senior provincial colours.
Calista said: “We’ve seen Inam grow from her primary school days into a phenomenal young athlete. She’s disciplined, creative, and always brings a great attitude to the squad.”
In 2019, both coaches earned their provisional coaching colours, and in 2024, Gareth achieved provincial colours as a penalty judge in the sport. Under their leadership, Phoenix reached national success, placing top five in the country at the 2023 SA Majorette and Cheerleading Championships (SAMCA) nationals.
The team will soon represent the Eastern Cape again at the 2025 nationals in Oudtshoorn, departing at the end of June.
Despite her success, she remains humble: “I was shocked when they called my name because everyone on the team is so talented and has worked so hard, I didn’t expect it.”
Balancing sport and academics at high school level is not always easy, but Inam handles it with focus and maturity.
She said: “I create a schedule that helps me manage schoolwork and practices. I set goals, avoid procrastinating, and always communicate with my teachers to stay on track.”.
“We are very proud of Inam and her majorette achievements,” St Joseph’s Preparatory and College headmaster Alan Webster said. “As a relatively young school, still establishing our presence in mainstream extramural activities, we are thrilled to celebrate such an achievement.
“A holistic education is key and while academic success remains central, extramural programmes like majorettes help pupils develop resilience, time management, confidence, and teamwork.”
Inam encourages younger pupils to try the sport.
“Majorettes is fun and rewarding. You make friends, compete, travel, and can even win awards, but it takes dedication. With passion and persistence, you can shine.”
As she and the Phoenix Squad head into the upcoming SAMCA nationals, Webster sends the best wishes: “Good luck, East London has a proud tradition in majorette excellence, and our pupils are now part of that legacy.”
