Former Banyana Banyana player and current professional football coach, Simphiwe Dludlu, set out to empower young football stars in Alexandra on July 18.

Her foundation, the Simphiwe Dludlu Foundation, worked alongside M-Sports Marketing, a black female-owned public relations agency, to hold a community outreach event aimed at empowering young girls through football development, mentorship, and education.

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Dludlu shared that growing up in an environment that lacked platforms for women in football forced her to play with boys, with whom she did not identify.

However, she has now set out to empower young women in sports, solving the very challenges she grappled with as a young star.

“It dawned on me the moment I entered that space, joining an academy as a 16-year-old, going to a private school, and being in a sports-focused school. It dawned on me that the young girls I left behind in the townships were probably still facing the same challenges I faced,” she said.

She said she founded her foundation to address those challenges.

“I want to see young women who will be 10 times better than Simphiwe Dludlu,” she said.

The event featured small yet powerful activities, such as giving the players flowers and a chance to share positive affirmations or quotes in front of their peers to leave them in high spirits.

Dludlu added that beyond hosting workshops, the foundation also bridges the resource gap. “If we receive equipment from donors, we donate it to teams and clubs.

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“We also help coaches design programmess because establishing an early structure in women’s football programmes means early development, early discovery, early scouting, and the early identification of talent.”

The event was sponsored by M-Sports Marketing. The company’s business unit director, Janet Molekwa, stated that projects investing in the interests of women are incredibly important to them.

She added that their sponsorship, which came after being approached by Dludlu, underscores the importance of developing young athletes from an early age.

“Grassroots programmes are something we are very passionate about,” Molekwa said.

“We are deeply passionate about sports because we believe that sports can change lives.”

She added that they also love the fact that Dluldu is giving back to the place where she grew up.

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