Coloured diamonds are the most expensive, according to the diamond industry. Natural diamonds are formed by extreme pressure and heat and the gem is regarded as the hardest naturally occurring substance on earth. While diamonds are among the most expensive gemstones, rare coloured diamonds hold the record for the highest prices per carat, rather than colourless or what is known as white diamonds.
Enter Delft’s most valuable diamond, Miss Zoë October, known among her peers and in football circles as the “dazzling dribbler” and “a gem” of a player. I met up with Zoë at her humble home in Delft to uncover more about this hidden national treasure.
Delft is a breath-takingly beautiful canal-ringed city in the Netherlands known for its production of Delftware. However, the Cape Town suburb of Delft (ironically named after the city in the Netherlands) is known for its extremely high crime rate, socio-economic disparity and, frankly, in my opinion, inhumane living environment. The sad state of affairs in Delft is no reflection on the people forced to live there, instead it is a glaring consequence of the horrific, ongoing legacy of apartheid.
It takes a really special individual, some would say, a prodigy, to rise up from the challenging environment in Delft to represent South African Women’s Football at national level as an attacking midfielder, at the tender age of just 17. She has represented SA on U-20 level where the team is known as Basetsana, and at senior level for Banyana Banyana.
After meeting with Zoë’s school principal, Chrizelda Layman and chatting about Delft, I have no doubt that there are other bright lights in the community, including Ms Layman and her staff. I chose to highlight Zoë’s diamond radiation as a beacon of hope for the next generation.
Zoë has been shaped into the current force she is in football much like a rare diamond would be forged, through extreme pressure and intense heat. Two weeks ago, while walking home from school, she was wounded trying to dodge a knife thrust while being robbed. She literally could have been killed.
Rewind to February this year, and you find Zoë running circles around Ghana’s Black Princesses in the first leg of the third-round qualifier for the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Accra. With the game poised at 2-1 against SA, Zoë unleashed a long-range thunderbolt from outside the box to level the match. Such is the high-and-low roller coaster ride that is the existence of this young lady.
WE ARE FAMILY: Marwaan Adams, Zoë October, Nazlee Adams and her daughter, Naa’ilah Maggot
Strong Foundations
Sitting in on the interview with The Raven Report are Zoë’s foster mom, Nazlee Adams and her foster dad Marwaan Adams, who joins us live on video call. Zoë’s biological mom passed away suddenly from a heart attack in 2023, which understandably had a very traumatic impact on her. Nazlee and Marwaan say it was a no-brainer to take her under their wing. “She and our daughter were good friends already and besides being at school together, they also spent most of their free time together, so she was here a lot. And when her mom passed, her pain and vulnerability was intense and she naturally felt our home to be a safe haven for her,” says Nazlee.
Marwaan adds, “Despite our emotional bond with Zoë we wanted to do everything by the book and we spoke to her biological dad, and other members of her biological family before going through the legal process of becoming her foster parents with no objections or hiccups from anyone.”
“She really is an amazing kid, well-mannered, confident and proud in her own skin. Attributes I know were instilled by her biological mom,” says Naz.
Zoë in the Zone
I ask Zoë about her gift and skill with the football and she begins with how she took on the boys in street football as a little girl.
“When I’m on the pitch, I go into a zone where I become aware of everything, but I don’t really think about anything, every move I make, every decision I take, happens intuitively and instinctively. Its like my brain takes in the positions of the players and the way the game is playing out and most of the time I just know what to do,”
It was that innate intuition and skill that saw her go for trials at Belstar in Belhar as a ten-year-old girl. “I saw an ad in the newspaper for the trials and I went. It was an amazing experience because it was the first time I had ever played on an actual football pitch, and with girls,” she says.
The eagle eyes of football scouts got wind of her after that and soon she was invited to try out for Spurs W.F.C (Women’s Football Club), which of course she aced. Shortly thereafter she got her first call up for the national team, and later she joined UWC’s football team who she currently represents on club level.
I tell her that what she has achieved is nothing short of incredible, especially under her particular set of circumstances. She smiles humbly. I tell her that little girls and boys will read this and be inspired by her and want to be like her and that she has made us all very proud. The smile widens. It does not surprise me that Zoë also coaches the girls and boys football teams at her high school.
Along the way Zoë has won many different medals and received woman of the match and tournament awards aplenty, but it is crystal clear that Naz and Marwaan are going to have to invest in a massive trophy cabinet, because the best is yet to come from this phenom.
No guesses for which international footballer she admires the most. “CR7 of course, but, but I want to play for Barcelona Women one day,” sê sy vinnig. I ask her about her own personal drive and belief and what motivates her.
“My faith in God underlines everything I do. I believe in myself and I am proud of who I am and I never, ever give up when I set out to achieve something, no matter what. I also want to say a special thank you to two people that really helped me the most in football after losing my balance in life after mom died. Thank you coach Celeste Jansen and coach Samantha Kewana, you really helped me stay on track and always gave me hope even when I thought all hope was gone.”
What’s next on the Zoë express
“The league will resume soon after the international break and I’m looking forward to regular games. Long term, after I finish school, I’d like to study something in the field of sports management and obviously continue my football career,”
I ask her about the impact of traveling to foreign countries on her schooling. “It is tough, because sometimes I’m away for as long as a month and it’s difficult to catch up. But, luckily my lovely girlfriend, Shanike Swarts, is super smart and she helps me to catch up by tutoring me when I need support. She is also an incredibly motivating influence in my life and I am happy and proud to have her by my side. She’s the smart one and I’m the sporty one,” she laughs.
Editor’s note: I would like to thank Chrizelda Layman, Principal of Rosendal High School and educators Chris October and Ricardo Wildskut for facilitating this interview. Look out for more inspiriting stories from Rosendal High soon.
