The 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow may have come to an end, but the achievements of African women at the Games deserve to be remembered.
From athletics and swimming to weightlifting, para-powerlifting, judo and boxing, African women stood on the podium and demonstrated once again that the continent’s sporting talent extends far beyond the traditional headlines.
The Games were held in Glasgow, Scotland, from 23 July to 2 August 2026, bringing together athletes from 74 Commonwealth nations and territories.
Here are some of the African women who won medals for their countries.
🇳🇬 Nigeria
Nigeria was the highest-ranked African nation on the final medal table, finishing seventh overall with 10 gold, seven silver and seven bronze medals.
Several of Nigeria’s medals came from outstanding performances by women.
Esther Nworgu — Gold
Sport: Para Powerlifting
Event: Women’s Lightweight
Esther Nworgu produced one of Nigeria’s earliest successes of the Games, winning gold in the women’s lightweight para-powerlifting event and setting Commonwealth Games records during her performance.
Folashade Oluwafemiayo — Gold
Sport: Para Powerlifting
Event: Women’s Heavyweight
Nigeria’s team captain delivered another remarkable performance, winning gold and breaking the world record twice during the competition.
Rafiatu Lawal — Gold
Sport: Weightlifting
Event: Women’s 58kg
Lawal added another gold medal to Nigeria’s growing collection with a commanding performance in the women’s 58kg category.
Onome Didih — Gold
Sport: Weightlifting
Event: Women’s 53kg
Didih produced a powerful performance to win gold for Nigeria in the women’s 53kg category.
Goodness Nwachukwu — Gold
Sport: Para Athletics
Event: Women’s Discus F42-44/F61-64
Nwachukwu successfully defended her Commonwealth title and set a world record of 39.66 metres, making her one of the standout Nigerian performers of the Games.
Tobi Amusan — Gold
Sport: Athletics
Event: Women’s 100m Hurdles
The world-record holder added another major international title to her career, continuing her dominance in the women’s 100m hurdles.
Ruth Usoro — Silver
Sport: Athletics
Event: Women’s Long Jump
Usoro produced a strong performance to claim silver in the women’s long jump.
Temitope Adeshina — Bronze
Sport: Athletics
Event: Women’s High Jump
Adeshina cleared 1.90 metres to win bronze, improving significantly on her 10th-place finish at Birmingham 2022.
Ella Onojuvwevwo — Bronze
Sport: Athletics
Event: Women’s 400m
Onojuvwevwo secured bronze in the women’s 400m, adding another athletics medal to Nigeria’s impressive campaign.
Adijat Olarinoye Ekuta — Bronze
Sport: Judo
Event: Women’s 63kg
Ekuta won a bronze medal in the women’s 63kg judo competition.
Nigeria also won bronze in the mixed 4x400m relay, with women contributing to the team effort.
🇿🇦 South Africa
South Africa also enjoyed a highly successful Games, particularly in swimming. By the end of the swimming programme, South African women had collected a significant number of medals.
Lara van Niekerk — Gold
Sport: Swimming
Event: Women’s 50m Breaststroke
Van Niekerk won gold in the women’s 50m breaststroke, giving South Africa one of its women’s swimming titles.
Aimee Canny — Silver
Sport: Swimming
Events: 100m Breaststroke and 200m Individual Medley
Canny was one of South Africa’s standout female swimmers, winning silver in both the 100m breaststroke and 200m individual medley.
She also helped South Africa win silver in the mixed 4x100m medley relay.
Erin Gallagher — Silver and Bronze
Sport: Swimming
Events: 50m Butterfly and 100m Butterfly
Gallagher won silver in the women’s 50m butterfly and bronze in the 100m butterfly.
Danika Vyncke — Silver
Sport: Para Swimming
Event: Women’s 50m Freestyle S13
Vyncke claimed silver in the women’s para-swimming event.
Kaylene Corbett — Silver
Sport: Swimming
Event: Women’s 200m Breaststroke
Corbett added another silver medal to South Africa’s haul.
Olivia Nel — Bronze
Sport: Swimming
Event: Women’s 100m Backstroke
Nel secured bronze in the 100m backstroke after an impressive performance in the pool.
She also contributed to South Africa’s bronze-medal performances in the women’s relay events.
South Africa’s women’s relay teams
South African women also won bronze in both the women’s 4x100m freestyle relay and women’s 4x100m medley relay, with Aimee Canny, Rebecca Meder, Erin Gallagher and Olivia Nel among those contributing.
🇰🇪 Kenya
Kenya’s traditional strength in distance running once again produced medals.
Diana Wanza — Silver
Sport: Athletics
Event: Women’s 10,000m
Wanza won silver in the women’s 10,000m, finishing behind Australia’s Rose Davies. She crossed the line in 31:50.13.
Lilian Odira — Silver
Sport: Athletics
Event: Women’s 800m
The reigning world champion produced a strong performance to finish second in the women’s 800m, continuing the long African tradition of success in the event.
Irene Jepkemboi — Bronze
Sport: Athletics
Event: Women’s Javelin
Jepkemboi won bronze in the women’s javelin throw.
🇷🇼 Rwanda
Florence Niyonkuru — Bronze
Sport: Athletics
Event: Women’s 10,000m
Niyonkuru made history by winning Rwanda’s first-ever senior Commonwealth Games medal.
She finished the women’s 10,000m in 31:55.47, narrowly holding off Uganda’s Esther Chebet.
Her bronze medal represented a landmark moment for Rwandan sport after the country had competed at five previous senior Commonwealth Games without winning a medal.
🇬🇭 Ghana
Zinabu Issah — Silver
Sport: Para Athletics
Event: Women’s Shot Put F57
Ghanaian para-athlete Zinabu Issah won silver in the women’s F57 shot put with a season-best throw of 8.65 metres.
Her medal was Ghana’s first at Glasgow 2026.
🇨🇲 Cameroon
Cameroon also produced notable performances in judo.
Marie Celine Baba Matia — Bronze
Sport: Judo
Event: Women’s 52kg
Baba Matia won bronze in the women’s 52kg category, adding a Commonwealth medal to her growing international record.
Richelle Anita Soppi Mbella — Silver
Sport: Judo
Event: Women’s +78kg
Soppi Mbella reached the final and won silver in the women’s +78kg category.
🇬🇦 Gabon
Marthe Yokebed Gnacadja Avaro — Bronze
Sport: Judo
Event: Women’s +78kg
Gnacadja Avaro won bronze in the women’s +78kg judo competition, giving Gabon a place on the podium.
🇲🇺 Mauritius
Noemi Alphonse — Silver
Sport: Para Athletics
Event: Women’s 1,500m T54
Mauritian wheelchair racer Noemi Alphonse, a multiple world champion, added another major international medal to her remarkable career by winning silver in Glasgow.
Her participation also represented another important milestone for the development of para-sport in Mauritius. Commonwealth Sport had highlighted Alphonse as one of the athletes who had progressed through its GAPS development programme.
🇱🇸 Lesotho
Lesotho also celebrated a medal in women’s boxing.
[Lesotho women’s boxer] — Bronze
Sport: Boxing
Event: Women’s 57kg
Lesotho’s women boxers were among the country’s strongest performers at Glasgow 2026, with the nation securing a women’s boxing bronze medal late in the Games.
More Than Medals
The achievements of these women represent more than numbers on a medal table.
They demonstrate the depth of African women’s sporting talent and the importance of giving women access to training, coaching, facilities, competition and financial support.
From Nigeria’s para-powerlifters breaking records to Rwanda winning its first Commonwealth medal, Ghana’s para-athlete reaching the podium, Kenya’s distance runners continuing their dominance and South African swimmers excelling in the pool, Glasgow provided many reminders that African women belong at the highest levels of international sport.
Their stories also challenge an old narrative about African sport.
Too often, African women’s sporting achievements receive attention only when they reach the Olympic Games or win a major championship. Yet behind every medal is a story of years of training, sacrifice, discipline, financial challenges, family support and determination.
A Call to Invest in African Women in Sport
The success of these athletes should also encourage governments, businesses, sports federations and development organisations to look beyond celebrating medals.
African women need investment before they become champions.
That means investing in:
- Girls’ participation in sport
- Sports facilities and equipment
- Coaching and technical development
- Women’s professional leagues
- Para-sport
- Sports scholarships
- Athlete welfare
- Sports science and medical support
- Sponsorship and commercial opportunities
- Leadership opportunities for women in sports administration
The medal podium is only the visible part of an athlete’s journey.
If Africa wants more women standing on international podiums, the continent must invest in them long before they get there.
Celebrating African Women
The 2026 Commonwealth Games have given us another opportunity to celebrate African women who competed, persevered and succeeded on the international stage.
Their medals belong not only to them, but also to the young girls watching from classrooms, homes, communities and sports fields across Africa.
For every medal won in Glasgow, there is potentially another young African girl asking herself:
“Could I do that too?”
The answer should be yes.
And our responsibility is to make sure she has the opportunity to try.
