Cape Town, South Africa – Team ZapdOaks is ecstatic to announce our expansion into the South African Pokémon TCG scene and welcome Jonah Alter, Rudolph Du Plessis and Harper Kayser to our professional Pokémon TCG team.
We’ve been longtime fans of the competitive Pokémon industry and have been working hard behind the scenes to partner with some of the leading participants in the industry to grow the community and elevate the competitive standards of the Middle East and Africa region.
Team ZapdOaks aims to provide the necessary support and resources, enabling our squad the opportunity to compete at the highest level possible.
We’re thrilled to stand behind Jonah, Rudolph and Harper as they continue to play competitive Pokémon TCG at the highest levels available. Keep your eyes on our pages for more information about our first International event!
Jonah "SIRAFROPANDA" Alter
Jonah Alter is from Johannesburg and has been playing the Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) competitively since 2015. Jonah is one of the top-rated competitive players since 2015, actively partaking in events as a Pokémon Professor, welcoming and assisting new players and running leagues / tournaments at The Nexus. Jonah attended the 2022 Pokémon TCG World Championships in London, England.
The Pokémon TCG has made a huge impact on his life which has provided him with unforgettable experiences and allowed him to make lifelong friends. He has consistently achieved top finishes across leagues, regionals, nationals and special purpose events that has earned him an invitation to the Pokémon World Championship in every season since 2018.
Rudolph "Athens" Du Plessis
Rudolph entered the competitive Pokémon TCG shortly after witnessing Naoto Suziki play in the 2018 Pokémon TCG World Championships. Rudolph was quickly known as the extroverted player that never missed an event.
Rudolph invests a lot back into his local community and aims to further grow the scene across all age groups. He is a league founder, Level 1 Judge and Basic Level Tournament Organizer. When the Covid-19 pandemic occurred he partnered with fellow player, Jonah Alter, and community ambassador Kyle Bremmer to set up multiple Kahuna Koala PTCGO events.
Rudolph’s goal is to qualify and attend the Pokémon TCG World Championships and make a name for Pokémon South Africa on the World stage.
Harper "Harpr" Kayser
Harper has been playing the Pokémon TCG since 2017 and has five years experience as a competitive esports player and coach. Harper was previously a professional coach for the Rainbow Six Siege and Valorant esports titles, however, is now fully focus on the Pokémon TCG.
Harper is known for fielding decks that are hyper aggressive or a slower control variant. He is currently expanding his vast exposure to also be able field sequence heavy decks such as Urshifu and Lost Box.
In addition to playing, Harper is an avid streamer (https://www.twitch.tv/h4rpr)
Harper’s goal is to qualify and attend the Pokémon TCG World Championships and make a name for Pokémon South Africa on the World stage.
