Chairman’s Report

After a challenging 2020, it was our wish that 2021 would bring the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation SA new opportunities for growth and innovation to the benefit of our respective businesses and programmes.

I am pleased to say that we made great strides last year, despite the continued challenges of changing lockdown levels in the country, and would like to start off by paying tribute and extend my thanks to our funding partners, stakeholders, ambassadors, trustees, project leaders, management team and staff. You continued to collaborate to keep the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation’s vision alive through making a positive difference in the communities we serve, and I am truly grateful and proud to walk this road with you.

Despite having to do many things differently, 2021 was a busy and impactful year which included expanding the South African Laureus family in a few key areas: We introduced new ambassadors – Wayde van Niekerk, Cheslin Kolbe, Dumisani Chauke, Babalwa Latsha and Akani Simbine – and broadened the scope of our in-house skills by inducting Bryan Habana and Fred Robertson to our newest Trustees. In addition, we welcomed long-standing Laureus collaborator, Marlene Coetzee-George, as our new Chief Executive Officer. These individuals bring a wealth of expertise and knowledge from their respective fields and are already doing exceptional work by utilising their unique talents to contribute to the Laureus mission.

Another 2021 highlight was the British & Irish Lions and SA Rugby announcement of Laureus Sport for Good Foundation as the first ever Global Charity Partner of the 2021 Castle Lager Lions Series. We leveraged this one-year partnership to raise funds to support rugby-based community sport programmes in the UK, Ireland, South Africa and Japan, in an effort to address social issues facing the youth.

The Laureus SA team of Ambassadors showed up to the first online Ambassador Forum with great enthusiasm. There was no shortage of learning, nor humour for that matter, which culminated in a unified echo by all to do as much as possible to impact young lives through the power of sport.

Our ever-popular Golf Days were once again important fundraising opportunities. Taking place at Royal Johannesburg and Kensingson, and the Pearl Valley Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course respectively, the funds raised have once again placed us in a firm position to sustain the level of funding we committed to the programmes in our care. My heartfelt thanks go to our partners who generously supported these events.

I would also like to congratulate the young leaders who graduated from the YES (Youth Empowerment Through Sport) programme. The YES programme has created many success stories over the years, and I can’t wait to see how the talented and passionate Class of 2021 make a positive difference in their communities.

Please read the rest of our Annual Report for more details on our 2021 projects, activations and events, and profiles on the programmes we currently support.

2021 marked the end of our association with the Sports Science Institute of South Africa. For almost two decades they have been our home, our partner, a pillar of strength and a true supporter of the Laureus movement in South Africa. We are now based at the Stellenbosch Academy of Sport where we will continue the Laureus Sport For Good Foundation story.

I have never been prouder to be a part of this organisation as I have been over the course of 2020 and 2021. And as we look forward to 2022 – which also sees us celebrating 20 years of Laureus – I am excited to continue working with all of you. We have shown that we can adapt to change with grace and humility, while pivoting the way we do things in order to remain relevant.

Let us maintain our focus, remember our purpose, and continue to be the change we want to see in South Africa and the world.