PROTEAS coach Elize Kotze has praised her players for maintaining their composure, despite facing a hostile home crowd, to win the continental netball title in Blantyre.

South Africa beat Malawi 54-52 in extra time after a tense final on Friday, to be crowned African champions and overtake the hosts as the number one team on the continent. The game had ended 44-44 after regulation time.

"Both Uganda and Malawi were very physical," Kotze said after the team arrived in Johannesburg on Saturday.

"Our players were beaten blue and for them to find the resolve to play through that was incredible.

"The crowd also gave their team a definite advantage. They were very close to us and every time they booed you would feel it hit you.

"After this test we feel that we can beat anyone."

Vice-captain Bongiwe Msomi said the Proteas had to dig deep in the final, after being seven points behind with about five minutes left.

"We just told ourselves that it was now or never and we gave it everything," Msomi said.

"When we equalised with two seconds left we knew we could pull this off.

"I can't describe how we felt at the end. It took a while to settle in."