Sinalo Jafta Siblings: Get to Know Nika Bija

In East London, South Africa, Sinalo Jafta was born on December 22, 1994. She comes from a small town called Butterworth in the Eastern Cape. As a wicket-keeper and right-handed batter, she plays for the South Africa women’s national cricket team. Sinalo grew up in a household where her single mother, Lumka Jafta, a school teacher, supported her sporting ambitions despite limited financial resources.

Both Sinalo and her younger brother, Nika Bija, were raised by Lumka. Inspired by watching Makhaya Ntini and Mark Boucher on television as a child, Sinalo initially pursued hockey and athletics before starting to play cricket at the age of 13. Despite personal challenges, including overcoming alcohol addiction and undergoing rehabilitation in October 2022, Sinalo has become a consistent member of the national team across all formats.

She has also founded the SJ10 Foundation which focuses on supporting grassroots cricket for young girls and promoting menstrual health and education.

Nika Bija, Sinalo's younger brother, has been a significant source of motivation for her. In early 2023, Sinalo described him as being 16 and turning 17, emphasizing her desire to make him proud every day, even if he doesn't fully realize it. Lumka Jafta raised both Sinalo and Nika on a teacher's salary as a single parent and provided emotional support through her cricket career and personal recovery.

In late 2025, Sinalo reflected on her achievements, witnessing her sister getting married, her brother becoming a traditional coming-of-age milestone ("indoda"), and reuniting with family.