Designing a mentorship programme for women football coaches in South Africa: an expert e-Delphi study

Introduction Despite global recognition of mentorship as a key strategy for advancing women in sport coaching, structured mentorship pathways for women football coaches remain limited within the South African context. While national sport policies emphasise equity and transformation, there is little empirical guidance informing the design of contextually relevant mentorship programmes. This study aimed to establish expert consensus to inform the development of a mentorship programme tailored to women football coaches in South Africa. Methods An expert e-Delphi methodology was employed to systematically gather and refine perspectives from a panel of football experts with experience in coaching, coach education, and football administration. Thirteen experts participated in the initial round, with twelve completing the subsequent consensus rounds. Initial rounds generated statements relating to mentorship structure, objectives, delivery mechanisms, and support systems, which were refined through iterative feedback and consensus-building processes. Results The findings identified key elements necessary for an effective mentorship programme, including structured matching processes for mentors and mentees, clear role definitions, capacity-building components, organisational support, and monitoring mechanisms. Consensus was achieved on the core components of the mentorship programme, resulting in the development of a proposed mentorship framework. Experts emphasised the importance of embedding mentorship within formal coaching pathways rather than relying solely on informal relationships. Discussion This study provides evidence-based, context-specific guidance for the development of structured mentorship initiatives aimed at advancing women football coaches in South Africa. The findings highlight the value of formalised mentorship structures in supporting coach development and contribute to broader efforts to establish equitable, sustainable, and inclusive coach development systems within South African football.