South Africa don't head into the Netball World Cup as favourites but with a country's support, they can reach their lofty ambitions.

Australia and New Zealand, as usual, are firm favourites to clinch the Netball World Cup. One of the Trans-Tasman rivals has claimed gold in each of the previous 15 editions -- Trinidad and Tobago shared first place with Australia and New Zealand in 1979 as there were no finals played at the time while the three teams were tied after the round-robin phase.

England are the other big-hitters present in this year's Netball World Cup in Cape Town, having finished either third or fourth in every edition so far -- besides in 1975 when they reached their highest finish of runners-up.

South Africa on the other hand -- currently ranked fifth in the world rankings -- have led the chasing pack in World Cup events.

The Proteas' best performance came in 1995 in Birmingham when they finished as runners-up in their first appearance at the quadrennial event since being barred from participation -- due to Apartheid sanctions -- from 1967, when they finished third.

At the previous edition in Liverpool in 2019, the South Africans finished a respectable fourth place behind champions New Zealand, Australia and England.

The national side's recent performances have been shaky, however. At the Commonwealth Games...