IKF All-Africa Korfball Championship (South) 2026 and the first-ever IKF U19 All-Africa Korfball Championship 2026 concluded on 20 September in Blantyre, Malawi, after three days of mixed-gender competition at Kamuzu University of Health Sciences.
Hosted by the Malawi Korfball Association and IKF Africa, the twin events brought senior and under-19 national teams together on the same courts. Kenya’s and Zambia’s late withdrawal reduced the field, leaving a tightly contested Malawi–Zimbabwe programme that still delivered a historic youth championship and a hard-fought senior title.
Live results and statistics were available throughout on worldkorfball.sport website (senior/U19), with match videos published on the Malawi Korfball Association Facebook page and soon on the IKF Africa YouTube channel.
IKF All-Africa Korfball Championship (South) 2026
Zimbabwe won the senior title after beating hosts Malawi in all three matches.
Results
- Friday 18 September: Malawi 12–25 Zimbabwe
- Saturday 19 September: Malawi 11–13 Zimbabwe
- Sunday 20 September: Malawi 16–17 Zimbabwe
The opening match was one-sided. The next two were not. Malawi improved sharply after day one and pushed Zimbabwe to a one-goal margin on both Saturday and Sunday. The final, 16–17, was the closest of the championship and underlined how quickly the hosts closed the gap.
Final ranking
- Zimbabwe — champions
- Malawi
Zimbabwe take the southern African senior crown into the next cycle of continental competition. Malawi leave Blantyre with three competitive matches against the region’s strongest side and a clear platform for further development.
Qualification for the IKF World Korfball Championship 2027
With these results, Zimbabwe lifts the champions’ trophy and, more importantly, qualifies for the IKF World Korfball Championship 2027 in the Netherlands. Malawi finishes as runner-up and still has a chance to qualify for the IKF WKC 2027.
IKF U19 All-Africa Korfball Championship 2026
The inaugural U19 championship featured Malawi U19, Zimbabwe U19 A and Zimbabwe U19 B, which was playing out of competition.
Results
- Friday 18 September: Malawi U19 20–11 Zimbabwe U19
- Saturday 19 September: Zimbabwe U19 B 12-21 Zimbabwe U19 A
- Saturday 19 September: Malawi U19 14–16 Zimbabwe U19 A
- Saturday 19 September: Malawi U19 13–14 (GG) Zimbabwe U19 B
- Sunday 20 September: Zimbabwe U19 A 16–10 Zimbabwe U19 B
- Sunday 20 September: Malawi U19 9–22 Zimbabwe U19 A
Zimbabwe U19 A were the outstanding team of the weekend, winning their matches against both Malawi and Zimbabwe U19 B, including a 22–9 victory on the final day. Zimbabwe U19 B edged Malawi 14–13 on Saturday before falling to the A side. Malawi opened with a convincing 20–11 win, then lost three tightly or clearly contested games as the Zimbabwe youth groups found their rhythm.
Final ranking
- Zimbabwe U19 A — inaugural champions
- Malawi U19
- Zimbabwe U19 B*
The new championship gives African U19 players a continental title for the first time and a clear target beyond school and club level. IKF and IKF Africa have indicated the event is intended to become a regular fixture.
What Blantyre showed
Two themes stood out. First, Zimbabwe remain the standard in the southern region at senior level, but Malawi are no longer a distant second: two one-goal defeats after a heavy opening loss is a development story as much as a result sheet. Second, the U19 tournament justified its creation. Three youth teams produced five matches, an internal Zimbabwe final of sorts, and a first continental champion in the age group.
The next senior continental appointment is the IKF All-Africa Korfball Championship (North) 2026 in Nador, Morocco (30 September–3 October). Full statistics remain on worldkorfball.sport website (senior/U19), with match videos published on the Malawi Korfball Association Facebook page and soon also on the IKF Africa YouTube channel.