The Proteas cleared the first hurdle of the campaign when they got the better of Wales 61-50 at the pack out arena.

The Welsh were fighting a losing battle as soon as they stepped out onto the court, welcomed by a deafening roar emanating from the stands.

Cheering, dancing, and singing throughout the 60-minute match spurred the home side on and signified the excitement for the sport as they chase a first final appearance since 1995.

Karla Pretorius made her 99th appearance for the national team and showed signs of her player of the tournament performances from the last edition of the World Cup in Liverpool four years ago.

However, it was goal shooter Ine-Marí Venter that starred as she netted 43 times from 47 to take the player of the match award.

"Her growth has been phenomenal," coach Norma Plummer said of Venter.

"She had outstanding shooting for us.

"It was a win, not what I necessarily would call a convincing win.

"I thought our first quarter was sensational but then the Welsh notched it up in the second and third quarters.

"We started spraying balls and that was disappointing.

"There's a lot of information that we now have and that we can use and work on."

The match left a positive feeling for the rest of the tournament, which is set to run until August 6.

It is the first time the Netball World Cup is being held not only in South Africa but the entire African continent.

It signals an increase in South Africa in hosting women's sporting events, with organisations such as the South African Women and Sport Foundation striving to increase representation on and off the field of play.

"As women, it is our responsibility to empower ourselves - we cannot leave that responsibility to men," said University of Cape Town sport coordinator Mel Awu.

"As a woman, you have to want to constantly improve yourself, upgrade yourself and keep opening doors - we need to be demanding a seat at the table, and not waiting for someone to put out a chair.

"We have to empower and uplift each other, while we must also realise that there are men who are advocates for gender equality, and we need to celebrate them and work with them in this fight.

"As a country we need to put systems in place for the development of women, and demolish destructive patriarchal systems. 

"Women need to initiate that, because some men see nothing wrong with the current systems, as they are in a position of privilege.

"We need to open up safe spaces for those conversations."

Earlier this year, there was another hosting first as South Africa staged the Women's T20 World Cup for its eighth edition.

The hosts performed unexpectedly well as they reached the final for the first time.

Despite falling to the indomitable Australia, who sealed a third consecutive title, the run was hailed as transformative.

South African men's rugby captain Siya Kolisi attended their semi-final victory and almost quoted Nelson Mandela's famous speech as he said, "Sport has the power to unite a nation and this is a huge opportunity for women's sport in our country."

The World Table Tennis Championships in Durban in May also saw the world's best female athletes of the sport travel to South Africa.

Sun Yingsha won the women's singles title as China claimed all five gold medals in what was the first such event in Africa since the 1939 edition in Egypt.

Provided the country can continue to afford these events, it bodes well for women's sports to be held on an equal footing. 

Less than 12 months prior to the table tennis event, the KwaZulu-Natal city was supposed to host the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

It would have also been the first time that the Games took place in Africa, however, the Commonwealth Games Federation stripped Durban of its hosting rights in March 2017 due to insufficient funds.

All of these are leading up to the powerhouse event of women's sport - the FIFA Women's World Cup.

The South African Football Association (SAFA) is one of four that are set to bid for the 2027 event.

The body was motivated by the success of the country's recent participation in tournaments. 

The Banyana Banyana won last year's Africa Women Cup of Nations and is still in with a chance of advancing to the knockout rounds of the ongoing World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

South Africa already has the required infrastructure in place, with eight of the stadia also serving at the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

It faces tough competition however in the form of Brazil, and two joint bids from Mexico and the United States, and Belgium, Germany, and The Netherlands.

In addition to the clear benefits the tournament would have for women in South Africa, SAFA President Danny Jordaan predicts it would help "football to be truly global".

"The gap in the men's game between European and South American football in relation to Africa and Asia is now impossible to close," he said,

"Of the global revenue for football, 80 per cent goes to Europe.

"So, Africa is on the margins.

"Now, if we sit back and do nothing, the same pattern will emerge in women’s football and we will struggle to close the gap.

"If we want football to be truly global, then we must increase the competitiveness of football throughout the world. 

"We have a strong bid to hopefully secure the Women's World Cup because that will inspire or invigorate and strengthen football for women on the continent and close that gap rather than allow the pattern to repeat itself."

The host is due to be appointed at the FIFA Congress in Bangkok on May 17 next year.

It will be a stunning achievement for South Africa if the bid is successful and will surely build on a Netball World Cup which is already inspiring women and girls to strive for equality in sport and beyond.