The invitations are out: the race for the final Top 10 begins

South Africa has never had a national ranking

Here's the honest story of school basketball in this country: there is no national ranking system for schools — public and private — where everyone can participate and match up against everyone else. Provincial leagues and regional competitions tell us who dominates a corner of the country, but they never answer the bigger question: who is truly the best of the best?

That's the problem the Top 10 Tournament was built to solve.

A national platform to settle the scores

For the first time, private and public schools from across South Africa get the chance to compete on the same national platform — to settle the scores and crown the champion of U19 boys basketball in 2026. No borders you can't cross, no league you don't belong to. If your programme is good enough, 2–4 December 2026 at Mandeville Sports Club in Johannesburg is where you prove it.

The race for the final Top 10 begins

Nominations closed at midnight on 30 September, and we wasted no time. Direct invitations have now gone out to the top-ranked school basketball teams in the country — programmes that have won championships and dominated their leagues in 2026.

Who's in the mix

The invitation list reads like a who's who of South African school basketball, from every corner of the country. From Gauteng: KES, St Stithians, St John's College, St Benedict's, St David's Marist Inanda, Pretoria Boys High, Jeppe and ESCA. From KwaZulu-Natal: Maritzburg College, Northwood, Kearsney, Westville, Michaelhouse, Hilton and DHS. And from the Cape: SACS, Wynberg, Bishops, Rondebosch, St Andrew's College, Grey High and Kingswood — with more to be confirmed.

Public school or private school, big city or small town — every invited school now appears on our Teams page with an Invited badge as they come on board.

How the final Top 10 is decided

Invited schools confirm their availability for 2–4 December 2026. The tournament committee then finalises the line-up, and the official Top 10 will be announced at the end of October 2026.

Why it matters

Every invited team is here on merit, but a ranking is only an opinion until the games are played. This December, the scores get settled on the court — under FIBA rules, with certified referees and table officials — and every player leaves with a lasting profile backed by per-game stats, a first for South African school basketball. One court. One champion.

Keep an eye on the Teams page and our social channels (@top10tournament) as confirmations roll in.