Bongiwe Msomi (born 19 January 1988) is a South African netball player. She plays in the positions of Centre and Wing Attack. Msomi has a National Diploma in Sport Management through the Durban University of Technology. Msomi is the founder of Bongi Msomi Netball Project, a non-profit company that focuses on raising the profile of netball through skills development, the transfer of knowledge and experiences gained, as well as the holistic development of the coach/player/child and athlete. in her hometown Mpumalanga Township unit 4 Hammarsdale. Early life, family and early netball development Msomi was born and raised in Durban, South Africa, growing up in Hammarsdale. Msomi is the fifth of eight children. Her mother was a machinist, making clothing in a factory. Her father passed away at the beginning of her career. Msomi's younger sister plays netball provincially. Msomi had no role models in netball when she was young as there was no professional netball on television, nor did she know of any black netball players. Msomi started playing netball in 2004 at the age of 16 while at Chief Luthayi High School in Durban. In her first match she was a fill-in player playing the position Wing Defence when the team was one player short. She did not have training shoes or kit at the time and was provided an old kit by the school coach S’thembiso G. Mncwabe so she could continue to play. Msomi would change out of the sports kit at the courts before returning home where she would not be allowed to wear the clothes at home for cultural reasons. Msomi credits Mncwabe, her first netball coach with beginning and supporting her netball career. Msomi reported that Mncwabe used his own money to buy balls, cones and shoes to allow the women he coached to play. In 2005 Msomi was chosen to represent eThekwini Region at the Salga KZN-DSR Games and she changed position from goal attack to centre. After representing eThekwini at the Salga KZN-DSR Games, Msomi joined the under-19 team and then the under-21 team. Msomi captained the under-21s team at the 2009 World Youth Netball Championships in the Cook Islands. Msomi captained the under-21s team at the 2009 World Youth Netball Championships in the Cook Islands. National career Msomi played for KwaZulu-Natal’s Kingdom Stars in South Africa, captaining the team in the Brutal Fruit Premier League. In 2010, Msomi was invited to