South African media personality Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma has expressed disappointment over Olympic swimming champion Tatjana Smith’s decision to represent the Netherlands, questioning whether anything can be done to bring her back to Team South Africa.
Also see: Tatjana Smith demands interest from Swimming SA over delayed prize money
Jacinta’s reaction follows Tatjana’s announcement that she will switch her sporting allegiance to the Netherlands, citing financial and practical challenges associated with maintaining a professional swimming career.
Taking to social media, Jacinta raised concerns about the treatment of South African athletes, suggesting that poor administration and insufficient support could contribute to the country losing sporting talent.
“Is there no way of getting her back? We can’t afford to lose such talent because of poor administration!” she wrote.
She continued: “It’s wrong to mistreat the same athletes that fly the country’s flag so high! It’s wrong.”
@GaytonMcK Is there no way of getting her back? We can’t afford to lose such talent because of poor administration! It’s wrong to mistreat the same athletes that fly the country’s flag so high! It’s wrong
— Jacinta Ngobese🇿🇦 (@JacintaNgobese) November 11, 2026
Also see: President Cyril Ramaphosa honours Tatjana Smith with the Shield of Jove
Why is Tatjana Smith switching to the Netherlands?
Tatjana, who holds both South African and Dutch citizenship, announced on 10 November 2026 that she would represent the Netherlands in the next chapter of her swimming career.
The four-time Olympic medallist explained that her decision was influenced by the opportunity to access greater high-performance support and build a more financially sustainable career.
Tatjana previously retired from competitive swimming after the 2024 Paris Olympics but returned to the pool in 2026 with renewed ambitions of competing at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
She explained that the financial and practical demands of professional swimming had contributed to the difficulties she experienced during her previous career.
“The reality is that this opportunity also offers greater high-performance support and the potential to build a more sustainable career,” Tatjana said, as reported by Daily Maverick.
She added that she wanted to protect her renewed love for swimming while giving herself the best possible opportunity to pursue her Olympic ambitions.
Her decision also allows her to explore her Dutch heritage through sport. Tatjana has emphasised that representing the Netherlands does not diminish her pride in South Africa or the achievements she earned while competing for the country.
