Onthatile “Thati” Zulu is heading into the FIH Hockey World Cup with momentum behind her. South Africa’s recent 4–0 Test series victory over Namibia offered a useful practice run ahead of the tournament in Belgium and the Netherlands, and Thati was subsequently named in the final 20-player squad. With 83 international caps, she is among its most experienced members.
The Pretoria-born midfielder has earned the right to place OLY after her name, a post-nominal title available to Olympians in recognition of their achievement. She made her senior international debut in 2019 and represented South Africa at the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
The selection marks another chapter in a career that has taken her far beyond the hockey field. Now based in Cape Town, she plays for Central Hockey Club and is an athlete ambassador for Red Bull and adidas.
Notably, Thati is South Africa’s only female Red Bull athlete, a position she sees as carrying particular weight.
“Representation is so important,” she says. Before joining the brand, she did not fully understand what it meant to be a Red Bull athlete or what opportunities such a partnership could create. Now, she hopes her visibility will help younger women imagine similar possibilities for themselves.
“If I can tell people about it, they can know about it,” she says. “Maybe one day they could want to be a Red Bull athlete and see what is possible.”
The relationship developed gradually. Red Bull supported her before any formal agreement was signed, learning about her needs as an athlete and building trust over time. Thati believes the brand was drawn to her outgoing personality, strong work ethic, and ability to balance discipline with a sense of fun.
That same balance is reflected in her personal style. Away from the pitch, another form of gold has always appealed to her. “Yellow gold accentuates my skin tone,” she says. She wears a fine gold-toned necklace with small crosses during matches and favours simple pieces away from competition.
Her interest in jewellery began with her mother, who loved accessories, particularly earrings. As a schoolgirl, Thati made colourful beaded bracelets and earrings for her. “She would say, ‘I’ll wear them, don’t worry,’” she recalls, although the handmade creations did not necessarily complement her mother’s outfits. One of her strongest jewellery memories is of the copper bracelet her grandmother wore for joint discomfort. After her grandmother died, Thati’s mother continued wearing it in her memory.
Thati also associates jewellery and watches with achievement. After earning prize money for recording the most intercepts during a local tournament, she bought herself a rose-gold Daniel Wellington watch.
“I worked hard, so I thought I might as well spend it on myself,” she says. The watch now replaces her sports watch whenever she dresses up or enjoys a rare day off.
Now, as she prepares for the World Cup, gold remains both an adornment and a metaphor: a reminder of family, reward, identity, and the standard she continues to pursue.
