South African teenager Bayanda Walaza on how Akani Simbine defines his career

South African teenage sprint sensation Bayanda Walaza is turning heads on the global track and field scene, and he is not shy about who is lighting the way for him, fellow countryman Akani Simbine.

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Fresh off a dazzling performance at the Kip Keino Classic in Nairobi, where Walaza clocked 10.03 seconds to finish second ahead of Ferdinand Omanyala (10.07), the World U20 100m and 200m champion is making it clear that he is on this stage not just to compete, but follow in the footsteps of greatness.

“Sharing a country with Simbine, seeing his successes, and following in his footsteps is such an honour. It also feels like someone is holding your hand. It feels like you have a parent.

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My target is to be on the world stage and perform,” Walaza told Mozzart Sport.

Walaza recently joined the big men’s table after clocking a blistering 9.99 seconds, becoming the joint fifth-fastest junior of all time. But the rising star insists he is still at the beginning of his journey.

“I have not achieved anything yet. This game is rough, and if you are to be one of the greatest, you need to be against one of the greatest,” the outspoken youngster offered.

Walaza credits not only Simbine but also the continent’s best for inspiring his hunger for success.

“It takes heart and guts for someone to sprint, especially in Africa. I am learning from the likes of Omanyala and Simbine because they are the ones that allow us to dream,” he offered.

“I still want to feel what it is like competing on this stage with some of the greatest, to get used to it, to travel into countries and make my way into being pro,” he continued.

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The youngster was also full of praise for the atmosphere and crowd support at the Ulinzi Sports Complex.

“The support the Kenyan fans bring makes sports fun, knowing that you have people who cheer you. Even though I am not from Kenya, the love I got here was awesome.

I felt honoured to race on these grounds. If it were up to me, I would have stayed here,” he said.

While Walaza is writing the first chapters of his career, Simbine is etching his name into history books. At 31, the South African sprint veteran recently became the first man in history to run under 10 seconds for 11 consecutive seasons, breaking a record previously held by Usain Bolt.

Simbine is unbeaten so far in his 2025 outdoor season. He has taken wins at the Diamond League meetings in Xiamen and Kequio. Last month, he won the Botswana Grand Prix in 9:99.

At Paris 2024, he anchored his nation to a 4x100m relay silver medal and earlier this year took bronze in the 60m sprint at the World Indoor Championships in Nanjing, China.