KFC MINI-CRICKET NATIONAL SEMINAR IS BACK FOR THE 2021/22 SEASON

 

Cricket South Africa (CSA) and KFC will be celebrating the country’s largest development programme, KFC Mini-Cricket at this season’s edition of the KFC Mini-Cricket national seminar.  

Over 80 KFC Mini-Cricket volunteer coaches and coordinators will be making their way to the annual National Seminar held in Limpopo from the 3rd and 6th October 2021.

KFC Mini-Cricket national seminar makes its return after a year-long halt due to the Covid19 pandemic. The annual seminar aims to not only empower and educate coaches but also to honour their contribution in their respective communities.

“The Mini-Cricket programme has over the year been a launch-pad for buddying cricket talent in the country. It is responsible for producing some of the cricket household names that continue to do us proud. This seminar sets to tone for more development work, which is in line with CSA’s mission”

 

The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has affected many industries and posed the same challenges for the KFC Mini-Cricket. This season’s theme is “Umvuselelo” a Nguni word meaning to reawaken and will see games being played on a more regular and consistent basis once again. With kids returning to play across the country, there is great excitement to have all children play the game they love.

 “On behalf of Cricket South Africa, I would like to sincerely thank KFC for this partnership that has delivered a lot of value to cricket and facilitated the reach of the sport of cricket, especially to areas that really require grassroots support. I would also like to thank the coaches and the coordinators who continue to put it all together year-in and year-out, including everyone else who is involved in making this a viable vehicle for nurturing cricket talent at school and community levels.  This partnership has allowed all of us to collectively support this noble endeavour of expanding cricket’s reach,” said Mr Pholetsi Moseki, CSA’s Acting Chief Executive Officer.

 

Since inception, the programme has seen more than 2,5 million kids participating in the KFC Mini-Cricket programme and continues to be a driving force for strong national teams. As KFC and CSA cement 12 years of partnership, the programme has experienced exponential growth with the number of kids taking part increasing from around 89 000 per season to over 126 000.

 

KFC CSI Manager, Andra Ferreira Nel, elaborates on the exciting expectations of the country’s pre-eminent grassroots sporting development programme.

 

 “As a brand we take the theme of ‘umvuselelo’ to heart. This is a time for reconnection, rebuilding and coming together as a nation under the incredible KFC Mini-Cricket programme.

 

The grassroot programme has stood tall against some of our recent societal challenges. We thank our committed partners, CSA, and the respective KFC Mini-Cricket programme structures for their unwavering support to ensure that kids in all communities are introduced to the beautiful game of cricket. We look forward to the KFC Mini-Cricket season ahead and we will work together to ensure a bright foundation is laid for our future heroes,” said Andra Ferreira Nel, KFC CSI Manager, KFC South Africa.

 

“This year’s KFC Mini-Cricket national seminar also comes at a time when KFC, South Africa’s most loved brand, is celebrating 50 years of sharing its famous Original Recipe with South Africa. The KFC Mini-Cricket coaches and coordinators are the unsung heroes in the programme and are part of the reason the programme is a success. We want to make sure that those unsung heroes in KFC Mini-Cricket are part of the celebrations,” adds Nel.

 

The KFC Mini-Cricket programme continues to be of the most impactful development programmes in the South African sporting landscape and goes far beyond the game of cricket. The sport brings youngsters from across diverse backgrounds together and not only introduces them to the game of cricket but also allows them to get active.

 

For more information on the KFC Mini-Cricket programme visit https://order.kfc.co.za/minicricket/minicrickethome or contact CSA at (011) 880 – 2810.

 

 

Sponsorship announcement: Absa signs four-year deal with RUN YOUR CITY Series

 

Proudly African bank, Absa, unveiled its strategic approach towards getting the country moving in the right direction, through its announcement of a four-year partnership with the RUN YOUR CITY Series running events in South Africa.

Through this partnership, Absa will continue its journey of step-changing its contribution to society by adopting an integrated and inclusive approach to achieving impact, this time, through promoting a walking, running, and riding culture among South Africans.

The partnership is set to inspire the country to get active, reach their performance goals and connect with old and new friends on the road. The mass participation series continues to encourage walkers and runners of all fitness levels to take part in each respective event and will also feature an elite athlete invitational programme that allows South African athletes to compete against the world’s best on home soil.

Absa Executive, Geoff Lee, led the way in sharing the exciting news, “As a proudly African bank, we recognise the role that sport and activity play in uplifting communities and boosting our nation’s morale. Sport has been tightly woven into our identity as Africans and we are excited to be announcing our new partnership, which will not only improve our sporting prospects but will shape our lives as citizens for the better. The Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series partnership is not only about getting active, but it will help the bank enable our colleagues to be an active force for good in their communities as part of our employee value proposition, ensuring that they are part of bringing Africa’s possibility to life and fostering a culture of action,” adds Lee.

Michael Meyer, Managing Director of Stillwater Sports and Founder of the RUN YOUR CITY Series, echoed the excitement of what the new partnership meant to runners across the country. “The support of Absa will be phenomenal for road running in South Africa and Africa, on all levels. Since the inception of the series, our focus areas have been innovation, inspiration, and fun – we wanted to create the most accessible and enjoyable mass participation road running event in Africa. With Absa’s commitment to the series, we believe that the future of the events in the series is extremely exciting and can't wait for the thousands of runners (existing supporters and new) to experience the exceptional Absa RUN YOUR CITY events.”

The timing of this new partnership is closely aligned with the bank’s strategy to get even closer to their customers and communities. “The partnership provides us with a platform to get everyone involved in a meaningful way to create shared value for the communities in which we operate,” adds Lee.

Athletics South Africa (ASA) President, James Moloi, expressed the association’s support at the virtual launch. “It is exciting to see brands such as Absa joining the running community on the highest level in the country. We welcome new partnerships, creative and innovative solutions that will help continue to build one of the leading sports in the country. We thank Absa for their commitment in supporting communities across the country through sporting events that act as vehicles to help improve the economy and well-being of South Africans. We wish all athletes the best of luck with all their preparations as they get ready to safely hit the streets of Durban and Cape Town respectively in 2021 and Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg respectively in 2022.”

The Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series is a multi-disciplinary property that will encourage South Africans to get active on a regular basis. By using sport to lift our nation, Absa continues delivering on its promise to turn the dreams of everyday citizens into meaningful realities.

For further information on the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series, please visit https://runyourcityseries.com/


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About Absa

Absa Group is listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange and is one of Africa’s largest diversified financial services groups.

Absa Group offers an integrated set of products and services across personal and business banking, corporate and investment banking, wealth and investment management and insurance.

Absa operates in 14 countries. The Group owns majority stakes in banks in Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania (Absa Bank Tanzania and National Bank of Commerce), Uganda and Zambia and has insurance operations in Botswana, Kenya, Mozambique, South Africa and Zambia. Absa also has representative offices in Namibia and Nigeria, and securities entities in the United Kingdom and the United States.

For further information about Absa Group Limited, please visit www.absa.africa

About the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series

A proudly South African mass participation road running series, the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series has been revolutionising the sport since 2015. A road running celebration like no other, the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series comprises three unique events, namely the Absa CAPE TOWN 12K CITYRUN (launched in 2015), the Absa DURBAN 10K CITYRUN (launched in 2017) and the Absa JOBURG 10K CITYRUN (launched in 2016).

A diverse road running series, the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series integrates businesses, families, investment in community, world-class achievement, and fun for all participants.

For further information, please visit https://runyourcityseries.com/

About Athletics South Africa

Athletics South Africa is the national governing body for the sport of athletics (including track and field, cross country, road running and racewalking) in South Africa, recognised by World Athletics and also a member of the Confederation of African Athletics.[4] The association is based in Johannesburg.