The award recognises individuals who embody resilience and the transformative power of sport, and Jafta has been open about her recovery from alcohol addiction.
“It means everything, actually,” Jafta said to Sportsboom. “Sometimes it’s not just about what happens on the field. Sometimes it takes a lot of life lessons and a lot of challenges to actually get to that point. With this recognition, it means that whatever I’m doing, I’m doing it well.”
Jafta’s story comes amid a wider conversation around mental health in South African sport, following the recent passing of 25-year-old Bafana Bafana player Jayden Adams.
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Jafta credited CSA for supporting her when she eventually admitted she needed help.
“It took me a year to acknowledge that I was actually an alcoholic. The doctor and the head coach at the time reached out and said, ‘Jaf, we think we have a problem here.’ It still took me a year to actually get help,” she said.
“When I did finally say, ‘Listen, I have a problem,’ they literally said, ‘We got you.’ That’s the one thing I’ll always be grateful to Cricket South Africa for doing, sending me into rehab.”
She urged other athletes struggling with addiction to reach out.
“Asking for help is the first step to getting better. If you think you’re afraid, you’ll be surprised how many people are actually willing to help.”
Jafta said she now takes cricket “one day at a time” to stay grounded, adding: “I’m really, really grateful for just today.”
Photo: Ashley Allen/Getty Images
