SUNBET CARES PUTS A TWINKLE BACK INTO SOWETO YOUNGSTERS‘ SOCCER ASPIRATIONS
Surprise donation uplifts Soweto Shining Stars Football Club
CAPTION: Soweto Shining Stars today at Sun International Central Office in Sandton, receiving their surprise donation of football kit
[Sandton, Johannesburg, 11 December 2023] When SunBet staff member Jakob Madikane drove past a Soweto soccer field and saw school children learning to play the sport, his interest led to his employer sponsoring 140 youngsters at Soweto Shining Stars Football Club with new equipment and kit worth over R95 000.
SunBet, one of South Africa’s leading licensed online betting platforms and part of the Sun International group, stepped in to help. After meeting with the coach to discuss the club’s needs, they opted to contribute over R95 000 worth of kit and equipment through their CSI arm, SunBet Cares.“I stopped to speak to Sisilana, and noticed that the players’ kit and equipment were in a poor condition. Sisilana expressed a need for donations so that the kids could be better equipped to train as well as participate in the Greater Mayfair Local Football Association,” Jacob Madikane, from finance at SunBet said. “I am so glad that SunBet was able to donate to improve the lives of these youngsters.”
CAPTION: Mawande Sisilana, founder of Soweto Shining Stars receiving the donation (centre) from SunBet CEO, Simon Gregory (left) and Jacob Madikane, from finance at SunBet
The donation from SunBet included 120 soccer balls, 40 cones, and soccer kit for six divisions, from under nine to under 19s, each receiving 18 kits consisting of shorts, shirt, socks, goalkeeper kit and gloves. Further to this, the girls’ team will also receive kit.
Sisilana was invited to a handover at Sun International’s head office in Sandton on 11 December 2023, where he was unaware as to what was about to unfold.
Soweto Shining Stars was founded in 2019 by Mawande Sisilana, aiming to instil a sense of hope, reduce crime and bring back the importance of sport in the communities. Today the Club unites 140 youngsters of all abilities from areas around Soweto including Naledi, Protea Glen, Glenridge, Pimville, Dlamini and more.
The Club allows children from impoverished communities to be part of a holistic development programme focused on the transfer of football, life and career skills.
“Sun International’s SED efforts are focused on improving education for schoolchildren, and the importance of physical activities as part of this cannot be understated. The company has a long history of supporting education and sports initiatives in South Africa,”said SunBet CEO, Simon Gregory.
CAPTION: SunBet CEO, Simon Gregory playing one on one with a Soweto Shining Stars footballer
CAPTION: Where it all started, with Jacob Madikane, from finance at SunBet