Investing in the beautiful game and providing facilities

Nedbank strongly believes in investing in sport and is committed to developing and growing ‘this beautiful game’, which millions of South Africans are so passionate about. Since 2012, the Nedbank Sport Affinity, in partnership with The Sports Trust, has built nine superb multipurpose sport courts – giving school learners and communities in under-resourced areas the opportunity to play soccer and other sports.

Since 2010, the year in which South Africa hosted the FIFA World Cup, the Nedbank Sport Affinity and The Sports Trust have also provided hundreds of soccer kits to motivated young teams in all provinces. At the handover events, many of the school principals explained that their schools are non-paying schools, without the resources to buy their own kits or fund sports facilities. Having brand new kits in their school colours gives these young players untold motivation. Instead of wearing whatever clothes they have, they arrive at games in their coordinated kits, looking smart and skilled, like a professional team.

Nedbank’s long-term soccer development drive has included funding world-class multipurpose sport courts, providing soccer kits, sponsoring the Nedbank Cup, and driving the highly successful Nedbank Cup CSI Goals4Goals campaign, the Ke Yona Team Search and, most recently, the Nedbank #PlayYourPart campaign.

‘The extraordinary role and power of sport in the mental and physical development of young people is the reason why Nedbank partners with The Sports Trust to enhance excellence through sport from an early age,’ says Tobie Badenhorst, Head of Group Sponsorships and Cause Marketing at Nedbank. ‘Nedbank is one of the founding Trustees of The Sports Trust, and our partnership spans 27 years of working with under-resourced schools and communities throughout South Africa.’

Many schools still do not have soccer fields or sports facilities. Keen young soccer players use open fields and mark out the playing area with sticks and cones, often using dustbins as goal posts. They love the game and are out there, before and after classes, improving their skills. ‘Vital facilities like these multipurpose sport courts are our way of articulating Nedbank’s brand essence of “money experts who do good” for all the communities we serve,’ says Khensani Nobanda, Nedbank’s Group Executive for Marketing and Communications. ‘We are proud of all the campaigns that Nedbank has led over the years and continues to lead, which have helped raise much-needed funds for soccer development.’

The sport court unveiled in October 2014 at Musenga Vhadzimu Primary School in Diepsloot, for example, was built from money raised through the Nedbank Cup’s Goals4Goals campaign, in partnership with The Sports Trust. For every goal scored during the Nedbank Cup in the campaign year, the bank donated R10 000 towards building the facility.

Many young soccer stars have emerged through the programme. From 2013 to 2020, Nedbank supported the annual Nedbank Ke Yona Team Search, where talent between the ages of 18 and 25 from across South Africa was chosen to play in the Nedbank Cup and the opportunity to try out for the professional Premier Soccer League (PSL).

Speaking about young talent and the love of soccer at a 2017 kit handover celebration in Atteridgeville, principal Aubrey Nkonyane from Dr WF Nkomo High School, said: ‘Wow! What a day! We have a lot of soccer talent. Last year we won the local league of eight schools and one of our boys was chosen for the Kaizer Chiefs youth team. Most important is that our learners really enjoy playing. If you come to our school at 07:00, you will see the boys and some girls playing soccer. They don’t have a proper field, but they make do, using big black dustbins to mark out the goals.’

At the same event, principal Fanie Songo of Umthombo Primary School in Mamelodi said: ‘The players are very keen and three of our boys are now in the development side of Mamelodi Sundowns.’

‘Nothing like this has ever happened to us before, we are over the moon,’ said Thenjiwe Zulu, the principal of Saphinda Combined Primary School in Umlazi at the kit handover event on Friday, 23 June 2017. The day after the ceremony, 11 under-10 boys and 11 under-10 girls from Saphinda’s soccer sides accompanied the SuperSport United and Orlando Pirates players onto the field for the much-anticipated Nedbank Cup Final at Moses Mabhida Stadium, where SuperSport United won 4-1.

Zulu explained that being part of an event like this shows learners what they can achieve: ‘Some might even become soccer stars and play in the Nedbank Cup Final one day or for Bafana or Banyana. But what is most important for us as a school is that they exercise and play sport as part of a healthy lifestyle, developing a healthy self-image.’ She emphasised that they prepare their girl and boy learners equally for the world. Many of these children are from informal settlements, hostels, and child- and grandmother-headed homes. ‘We teach them that no matter where they come from, they need to be competitive in their lives so that they can become independent and move forward without waiting for somebody else to do something for them. This way they can be the light in their own lives and homes,’ Zulu explained.

The most recent sport court handover was on 3 September 2021, when Nkgonyeletse Senior Secondary School in Mmalegasane, Limpopo, became the ninth recipient of this Nedbank-funded facility. The handover was part of Nedbank’s #PlayYourPart campaign that awarded the 2021 Nedbank Cup winners, Marumo Gallants FC, the opportunity to choose a school in their community to receive the sport court.

The handover was done by the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Nathi Mthethwa; Minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga; Nedbank; Marumo Gallants FC; The Sports Trust and PSL.

Minister Mthethwa explained that one of the core objectives of the department, as set out in the National Development Plan 2030, is to create an enabling environment where all South Africans have access to sporting facilities. To achieve this, he added: ‘We appeal to the private sector to equally assist in bridging the gap of infrastructure development, working together with our municipalities. Let me take this opportunity and applaud both Nedbank and Marumo Gallants for ensuring that the youth of Mmalegasane have access to such a world-class facility,’ said Minister Mthethwa.

Nedbank
Nedbank is a founding trustee of The Sports Trust and provides support through its Nedbank Sport Affinity. When you use any of the Sport Affinity accounts, Nedbank donates money to The Sports Trust for the funding of sport development, talent identification and transformation in under-resourced communities.

You can also support the development of sport in South Africa by endorsing the Nedbank Sport Affinity programme in disadvantaged communities. The future sports stars of our nation have also been equipped through the investment of multipurpose sport courts, soccer and training kits. And you can also donate your Greenbacks to The Sports Trust via the Nedbank Money App. Open up a savings or investment account to help push sports beyond limits.

Visit any Nedbank branch or call the Nedbank Contact Centre on 0860 555 111 or go to www.nedbanksport.co.za for more information.
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