Namibia defeats South Africa by 18 runs in T20 tri-series opener

After losing the toss, Namibia posted a total of 163-9, with significant contributions from openers Jan Frylinck, who scored 60, and Louren Steenkamp, who added 40. In response, an experimental South Africa side struggled, despite Dewald Brevis's 75 runs. South Africa finished their innings on 145-9.

Namibia, ranked 17th in the world T20I rankings, caused an upset against 5th-ranked South Africa. South Africa is scheduled to play Zimbabwe on Saturday. The three nations, South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia, are set to co-host the 2027 ODI Cricket World Cup.