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By Johnathan Paoli
Kwa-Thema in Springs on the East Rand became the latest township to benefit from a state-of-the-art multi-purpose sports facility, thanks to a partnership between Nedbank and Kaizer Chiefs.
Explaining the choice, Kaizer Chiefs Marketing and Commercial Director Jessica Motaung highlighted the club’s commitment to empowering women’s football.
“We are very deliberate in our choice. The facility is not only helping the school or the community, but also providing a suitable training ground for women’s football. That is why we made sure the Home Sweepers train here,” Motaung said.
The facility was officially handed over to Phulong Secondary School, marking a milestone for the community and for women’s football in particular.
The handover forms part of the Nedbank Cup legacy project, which allows the competition winners to select a school that will benefit from a multipurpose sports court.
Chiefs, crowned 2025 Nedbank Cup champions, exercised this privilege by choosing Phulong Secondary, home to over 1,500 learners and a school deeply embedded in the Kwa-Thema community.
The facility will not only serve Phulong learners but also provide a home ground for Springs Home Sweepers Football Club, a women’s team with which Chiefs have established a strategic partnership.
The partnership between Chiefs and Home Sweepers has grown steadily in recent years, with the two sides working together to develop pathways for women players.
Home Sweepers owner and former Banyana Banyana coach, Joseph Mkhonza, expressed heartfelt gratitude for Chiefs’ investment in Kwa-Thema.
“We appreciate everything Chiefs has done for this community. Chiefs had six former players from this community. This community deserves better than what they’ve been getting,” Mkhonza said.
The unveiling was attended by Sport, Arts and Culture Deputy Minister Peace Mabe, who welcomed the initiative as a model for public-private partnerships.
“Partnerships should be fostered with the private sector and this is a step in the right direction. We appreciate Chiefs and Nedbank for this initiative. Let this court become a space for discipline, hard work, talent, and teamwork,” Mabe said.
Learners at Phulong Secondary were equally enthusiastic.
Grade 10 pupil Lindokuhle Gumbi said the project would inspire hope in the school.
“As a school we feel grateful because we don’t usually receive sponsors because of the area we are in. Hopefully, this will inspire dreams for many people,” Gumbi said.
In addition to the court, Chiefs donated sports attire and presented a framed, signed Amakhosi jersey to the school as a symbol of unity and opportunity.
On social media, Nedbank framed the handover as a continuation of the Nedbank Cup’s community impact.
Nedbank Chairperson Daniel Mminele said the initiative aligned with the bank’s belief in the importance of township communities.
“At Nedbank, we recognise that townships are the heartbeat of South Africa’s entrepreneurial spirit, culture, and economic resilience. Through projects like this, we hope to nurture that resilience by creating spaces where young people can thrive,” Mminele said.
Founded in 1969, Phulong Secondary has a proud history spanning 56 years.
The school currently has 1,514 learners enrolled and has produced many achievers, including a learner who won the Southern African Society for Co-operative Education Choral Eisteddfod in July.
The multipurpose sports court adds another feather to its cap, enhancing both its sporting and cultural offerings.
Principal and staff members said the facility would not only improve physical education but also provide a safe, structured environment for learners to pursue their sporting ambitions.
The Kwa-Thema court is the 10th facility built under the Nedbank Cup legacy initiative.
Since its inception, past winners of the Cup have been able to select schools of their choice to receive similar facilities, ensuring that communities across South Africa benefit from footballing success.
For Chiefs, the project reflects their broader philosophy of transforming victories on the field into victories for communities.
As the ribbon was cut and the first learners took to the new court, the occasion represented more than just a handover but a promise of opportunity, growth, and empowerment for Kwa-Thema’s youth.
INSIDE EDUCATION