Showing posts with label Intune communications and Entertainment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Intune communications and Entertainment. Show all posts

Tuesday, November 23, 2021

IT’S THE AGE OF ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS!

 


One of our clients that we have been lucky to retain for many years uses acronyms and abbreviations for everything! 

 

It is a full-time job keeping up to date and understanding the meanings.  Just when we think we have everything under control along comes a new one. 

 

If we don’t understand the acronyms/Abbreviations, we can easily lose the thread of any conversation!  After every meeting we discuss what transpired and how to move forward from an agency perspective.  We also discuss the latest abbreviations that we need to include into our client dictionary.

 

There is one specific abbreviation that we loved and have adopted into our agency! 

 

About 10 years ago we were sitting in a meeting preparing for an upcoming sports tournament, and the client had brought in a number of internal staff members, and they kept referring to the CYA.  “Have you sent your CYA?” or “I followed up with a CYA”.

 

We were deeply confused and eventually had to ask what this meant, “Oh, that refers to the ‘Cover Your Arse’ email,” was the reply.   We had a good laugh and discussed how these emails had saved them on numerous occasions.  We have since adopted the CYA into the business and anyone who is in an agency will understand the value of a CYA!  

 

In comes the pandemic and welcome to the world of acronyms and abbreviations!

 

Marketing, including public relations and social media took on a completely new look when Covid took the world by storm.  Marketing activations stopped immediately, and we all furiously wrote stories about our brands and services and posted them on as many different platforms as we could. 

 

Storytelling became the buzz word.  The brand with the most interesting story won!  The brand that showed the most empathy and focused on helping their community, won!  Anyone jumping on the pandemic band wagon, lost!  The new normal had arrived!

 

We were all furiously writing blogs, articles, ebooks, white papers, reports, updating websites, changing social media strategies – it was the era of change! 

 

We learnt that we are not creatures of habit after all!  We can change, we accepted the fact that not everything works according to plan, and it is Okay to change a strategy midway through.  We became adaptable creatures!  We had to implemented change to perform in a world of chaos.

 

With all the writing that needed to be done to be heard above the clutter, we started using abbreviations and acronyms to cut down on time, and this trend continues.

 

Let’s now have a bit of fun with abbreviations and acronyms:

 

We were reading an article this morning and came across a new word – SKIMPFLATION – which has prompted this discussion!

 

To understand Skimpflation, we need to look at the background.  In the countries that have opened up, the UK being a primary example, mass staff resignations have been seen across most organisations. 

 

Staff members that had been hanging on to their jobs in fear of the pandemic and its implications have all resigned leaving companies struggling to find replacements and this has impacted on CX (abbreviation for customer experience) and the DTC (Direct to Consumer) shopping has been left wanting.  In a period where there is very little brand loyalty, this results in consumers looking for alternative sources.

 

-        Never before has DCO (Dynamic Creative optimisation) been so critical to brands.  Skimpflation does not help the DTC (direct to consumer) experience and drives a wedge between the company and consumers!

 

-        Companies such as Intune used the pandemic to look for a CMS (Customer management solution) and our decision was in invest in a CRM (customer relationship marketing) system.  To make this work we needed to ensure we understood the API’s (application programming interface) and how it works.  We further had to work on a DCO (dynamic creative optimisation) to ensure that we had a digital strategy for personalisation.

 

-        Intune further works with many macro and micro influencers and we needed to understand the NIL (name, image and likeness) to ensure any form of success

 

These are merely a couple of examples of how the new era of acronyms and abbreviations work. 

Here we are in the digital world

-        We now know that we CAN change …………. and quickly

-        You can teach an old dog new tricks

-        You are never too old to learn

-        You might be BBT (born before technology) but whether you are Gen X, even a Baby Boomers, you need to be in the mix and understand the tech world

-        Brand loyalty has gone out the window

-        Online shopping is on the increase

-        We live in a hybrid working world now

And finally

-        Storytelling is key to any brand’s success, and this require public relations!  Contact Intune Communications and we will help bring your brand, service and company up to speed with the new world.




Friday, October 8, 2021

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/


END.

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.


Friday, July 30, 2021

THE OLYMPIC GAMES AND THE IMPACT ON PARTNERS AND SPONSORS WITH NO FAN ENGAGEMENT

It’s Olympics time again and millions around the world are enjoying watching a multitude of sports, many of which we only take an interest in every four years. We become armchair experts and hop from channel to channel to consume as much and as many sports as we possibly can. 

 

The exceptional skills displayed by the athletes is mindboggling. Looking at gymnastics, it is hard to believe that bodies can be manipulated to such an extent!

 

But it is a very different Olympic Games this year. There are no crowds and no fan parks. We never realised how important these elements are to the overall excitement of the entire Olympic package until they were not there. The usual full month of sport has also been condensed into a mere two weeks this time.

 

The statistics point to a decline in interest in the Olympics this year, although the Millenials and GenZs have shown more interest as the games have progressed. 

 

One must spare a thought for the sponsors who have invested millions of dollars to partner with the Olympics. There are no crowds to help them achieve that all important return on investment (ROI) via sales. Not to mention that there are no sales of the replica clothing that is synonymous with large international sporting events.  The full impact of Covid-19 on the Games will only be known in the months to come.   

 

But it is the sports rights holders that this blog is going to focus on.

 

Creating fan engagement is critical for rights holders, no matter what the platform, be it linear TV, CTV or on the different digital platforms available. Fan engagement leads to brand awareness, brand love and it ultimately create sales. How to effectively grab the attention of the fans is no easy task at the best of times, especially with new forms of entertainment joining the clutter every day. And which media or social media platform to use and how to use these also need a carefully crafted strategy to reach the desired target audience.

 

It’s in situations like this, regarded as a crisis, when creativity becomes critical and PR agencies are needed to provide the creative story-telling ability to help position brands.  PR is needed in the marketing mix more now than even ever before.

 

Guidelines on how sponsors can utilise the Olympic logo and how they can associate with the games is strictly regulated. Purchasing the rights is one thing, being able to leverage the rights is quite another matter, which pushes up the costs exponentially. Olympic brands have been tested to the hilt and must expand budgets even further to be heard and create that much needed awareness.

 

The pandemic hasn’t been kind to brands as many have taken massive knocks in sales creating a vacuum, and now they must spend more to leverage their sporting associations in a time when most brands have changed strategies linking sponsorships to sales as opposed to brand identity and awareness.

 

One way to possibly have helped sponsors achieve a higher ROI in this unique situation could have been, allowing some form of in-stadium branding. After all, live exposure is how the games are primarily consumed and incidental branding for sponsors might have been a good compromise.  Once the excitement has died down highlights and short inserts will be shared for years to come on all platforms, whether on YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and all others.  The newest data from the Maru Group pointed to fans between the ages of 18 and 34 prefer to watch highlights as opposed to hours of watching live.  Could brands benefitted from this?

 

With the rising popularity of the new digital viewing experience, brands can hopefully make use of Olympic footage and put their own visuals together with a direct link to brand messaging. There have been many brands that have taken ideas from the sports that they sponsor and put an omnichannel catchy and creative video together driving product.

 

The need to belong has emerged out of the pandemic and brands need to show they care.  In fact consumers actively seek out products that they perceive as caring for the community.  Utilising the Olympics in a visual and fund post Olympics campaign would go down well amongst the consumers.

 

And what about replica clothing and other goods?  I have attended international events and even a hardcore PR lady like myself with years of travel behind me have frequented many shops that stock replica goods and have spent a fortune purchasing for myself and my entire vast extended family. Companies have to pay a fee to be able to produce replica goods and it will be interesting to see the statistics come from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

 

It is up to the Olympic sponsors to find that element and then creatively package it into a valuable original content driver to tell their own unique story in a way only their brand can.  It could even be a look behind the scenes, taking a closer look at athletes, training or even asking fans to show how they are consuming the Olympics in their own special way.

 

Sponsors can capitalise on the Olympics by allowing it to live far beyond its live 2 weeks.  However, the feeling of many brand managers is to cut off immediately after the event

 

Looking at recent stats put out by Deloitte show that fans are very interested to be kept up to date during ‘off-seasons” (albeit this is not based on the Olympics)

 

65 percent of fans say they want some form of content or information at least monthly during the off-season.

More than 60 percent of fans say a great “year-round experience” would make them more likely to be more engaged with the team in the coming season.

55 percent say it would make them more likely to purchase a ticket in the future.

 

Time will tell how sponsors will utilise their Olympic association.  We have seen some great ads coming out in the UK, let’s keep tracking.

 

 


Wednesday, July 7, 2021

How do you transition from a school athlete to a professional athlete?


With the Olympics about a month away and the deadline to qualify for the Olympics coming up on the 29th June we take a look at athletics and what it means to athletes and schools. We are privileged to have three time Olympian and TUKS lecturer, LJ van Zyl talking to us about Athletics and opportunities that school kids have at getting recognized, transitioning from school to professional athletics and being able to participate at the Olympics. Together with LJ we have content creator and ex journalist Manfred Seidler who has over 30 years of experience working in Athletics and reporting on sports events including the Olympics over those 30 years. LJ de Villiers did his masters on the difficulties that athletes have transitioning from a school athlete to a professional athlete and here, LJ together with Manfred, identifies these problems and then goes on to talk about other issues that athletes face.

 

Wednesday, June 23, 2021

Women in Sport - ICC 100% Future Leaders Programme


 

Women from all over the world are getting the opportunity to take up leadership roles in various sports including cricket. The ICC has announced it's mentorship program for women and we got the opportunity to talk to two of the women that have been selected from 300 applicants to take part in the program.

40 women from 29 ICC Member countries have been selected to be mentored as part of the ICC 100% Cricket Future Leaders Programme designed to support emerging female talent in cricket. The programme, which is part of the ICC’s long-term commitment to accelerate the growth of women’s cricket and women in cricket, received an overwhelming response of more than 300 applicants from 45 different countries.

The initial intake will be split into two batches and the programme, which designed to address the low percentage of women in leadership positions in global cricket and build a pipeline of new female leaders in cricket will get underway with batch one beginning this month.

About 100% Cricket Future Leaders Programme
The application is open for all female future leaders of Cricket to apply and will be matched with a mentor to support their development growth.
The role of a mentor is to unlock their mentee’s potential and help them to be at their best. This could include being a confidential sounding-board, providing advice, guidance, and connections to reach their potential.

The philosophy of the 100% Cricket - Future Leaders Programme is to be participant lead, with the ICC acting in support to match the mentees with suitable mentors and provide guidelines and evaluation frameworks for the participants and opportunities to network and interact.

The programme will last for a period of 6 months, and include a kick-off workshop with Belinda Clark, followed by monthly check-ins and a 3-month review with the mentees and mentors agreeing the frequency and method of communication.

SELECTION PROCESS
All mentee applications were reviewed by a selection panel consisting of the ICC General Manager – Marketing and Communications – Claire Furlong, Mentor Guide and former Australia Captain Belinda Clark AO, ICC General Manager Development, Will Glenwright, and Competition Manager – Cricket, Birmingham 2022 – Commonwealth Games Holly Colvin.

 

Friday, June 18, 2021

KFC pays homage to youth excellence this Youth Month

 


Former South African president and philanthropist Nelson Mandela famously said that sport can play a role in uniting people in divided societies, it speaks to the youth in a language they understand and it has the power to create hope where once there was only despair. KFC has proved the adage correct through their partnership with Cricket South Africa (CSA) with the KFC Mini Cricket Programme which has played a vital part in empowering the youth through cricket.

Since the start of their partnership in 2010 the KFC Mini Cricket programme worked on spreading the game of cricket to where it now hosts 126 000 young cricketers annually across South Africa in a programme that spans diverse range in society, from urban areas to rural areas attracting children of all genders, races and social backgrounds.

The KFC Mini Cricket programme does not only successfully get children physically active but also plays a role in positively developing the children’s mental, social, and emotional wellbeing as KFC Mini Cricket programme participants learn to play for a goal within a team environment which encourages soft skills like focus, communication and helps improve friendship. Teamwork and leadership which can pave a foundation for a successful professional cricketing career or a career outside cricket through lessons learned in the KFC Mini Cricket programme.

The KFC Mini Cricket Programme is also a foundation to youth who aspire to be professional cricketers one day as players such as Sinethemba Qeshile, Janneman Malan and Lutho Sipamla have seen their hard work and dreams come to fruition when they made their debuts for South Africa in the KFC international T20 Series.

“As we commemorate Youth Month, we are proud to play part in empowering the youth of South Africa through our partnership with CSA with the KFC Mini Cricket programme which has ensured that over a million children get active through our 11 years of involvement in this prestigious programme.” KFC CSI Manger Andra Nel commented.

“KFC’s youth empowerment goes beyond our involvement with the KFC Mini Cricket programme as outside of cricket. KFC has launched the Ikusasa Lethu scholarship programme which provides quality education to our team member’s children. We also continue to tackle malnutrition through the KFC Add hope programme which raises funds to feed over 150 000 children in South Africa. Through all these programmes KFC continues to invest in the future of South Africa.” Andra Nel concluded.

The month of June is referred to as Youth month in the South African calendar and the commemorations and observance of youth month reach their peak on June 16th – Youth Day - a significant holiday in South Africa’s history.

For more information on the KFC Mini-Cricket programme, visit Website







Sunday, June 6, 2021

Five easy steps to POPI compliance

 Here is an article posted on Lexology.com with 5 easy steps to POPI compliance

The enactment of the General Data Privacy Regulations (GDPR) in the EU last year and the imminent proclamation of the effective date of South Africa’s own data privacy legislation, the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 (“POPI”), has been the cause of disquiet for many organisations’ directors and compliance officers.


Stricter data privacy legislation demands that organisations implement strict data processing standards to ensure the privacy and security of personal information. Penalties for non-compliance are hefty, as is evident from the EUR50-million fine imposed on Google in January this year for non-compliance with data privacy legislation.


While ensuring compliance might seem overwhelming, it can in fact be achieved in five easy steps:


Appoint or reassess the role of the information officer. In terms of the regulations under POPI, the duties imposed on the information officer have been extended and now include certain mandatory duties. The default information officer of a private body is its head, which is generally the CEO, unless it has been delegated. The first step to compliance would therefore be to appoint an information officer if the organisation does not already have one, or to reassess the role of the existing information officer in line with the requirements set out in POPI.

Create awareness. In order to ensure effective compliance, buy-in from senior management all the way down the chain of command is needed. Make sure employees understand what data privacy legislation entails and what is required of them. This can be achieved through interactive awareness training.

Personal information impact assessment. Once all employees are informed, self-assessments and audits should start throughout the organisation, within each business unit. It is important to understand what information is collected, how it is collected, by whom it is collected, what it is used for, how it is stored and processed, how it is retained and destroyed and whether it was collected with the necessary consent. Once self-audits are completed, there should be a clear understanding of how data is being processed in the organisation, and it will be in a position to identify gaps and produce a clear gap analysis and risk assessment report.

Develop a compliance framework, which can include processes and policies. A proper gap analysis will help identify which processes and policies have to be put in place. These may include:

updates to employment contracts

updates to supplier agreements

changes to marketing practices (opt-in and opt-out best practice)

implementation of policies like: personal information sharing policy, security compromises policy, subject access request policy, CCTV camera policy, bring your own device policy, Promotion of Access to Information Act, 2000 ("PAIA") manual, to mention a few.

Implementation. The compliance framework should be implemented, monitored and maintained. Policies and procedures do nothing to aid compliance if they not properly implemented. The last step to compliance would be to ensure the proper implementation of new policies and procedures through in depth training, awareness campaigns, annual re-training and compliance audits.

How ENSafrica’s POPI Toolkit can help achieve compliance


ENSafrica, in conjunction with a leading data privacy expert, has designed a POPI Toolkit based on international and local South African legal requirements and global best practice.


The POPI Toolkit is a comprehensive compliance programme, and is a quick and cost effective way for organisations to fast track POPI compliance and effectively manage risk.



Thursday, June 3, 2021

KFC Mini-Cricket Festival: Rosebank & Alexandra - 14 May 2021

 


The boys and girls are back on the cricket field and getting active again! The KFC Mini-Cricket programme hosted two successful KFC Mini-Cricket festivals in Gauteng on Friday, 14 May. 

 

In a fun-filled day, KFC along with Cricket South Africa (CSA) and the Central Gauteng Lions (CGL) visited Rosebank Primary School in Rosebank and MC Weiler Primary School in Alexandra, bringing with them the CSA mascot ZAC,  CGL fast bowling legend, Johnson Mafa and former Proteas bowler, Garnett Kruger.

 

“This programme just reminds me of where I was a number of years ago, as a kid, and to where I am now as an professional ex-cricketer. The experiences that I had from being a player, it all started here…playing cricket in the street and on the field.

 

“These initiatives that KFC and CSA are doing are bringing dreams to a reality. Giving kids an opportunity to dream of becoming a cricketer one day. It’s also brilliant of KFC to bring these activations to the township,” Kruger commented.

 

For more information on the KFC Mini-Cricket programme visit https://order.kfc.co.za/minicricket/minicrickethome.

 

<END>

 

Image List (With Captions):

 

Rosebank Primary School:

 


  • Cricket South Africa mascot ZAC engaging with KFC Mini-Cricket kids at the KFC Mini-Cricket Festival at Rosebank Primary School on Friday, 14 May 2021 (6)



  • CSA mascot ZAC standing at slip as KFC Mini Cricket kids get active again at the KFC Mini-Cricket Festival at Rosebank Primary School on Friday 14 May 2021 (7)


  • KFC Mini Cricket kids receive instructions as they prepared for fun and exciting action during the KFC Mini Cricket Festival on Friday, 14 May 2021 (11)

 

MC Weiler Primary School:



  • Anele Ngodo from Gordon Primary School learning to master the art of bowling with Gauteng cricket legend Johnson Mafa during KFC Mini Cricket Festival at MC Weiler Primary School on Friday, 14 May 2021 (1)


  • Coach Kgomotso Matintela helping Thabang Phiri Ikage Primary School with his positioning at the crease as the KFC Mini-Cricket kids took to the field during the KFC Mini-Cricket Festival at MC Weiler Primary School on Friday, 14 May 2021 (2)


  • Kgosiame Monisi from MC Weiler Primary School delivers the perfect ball as the KFC Mini-Cricket kids marked their return to action with the KFC Mini-Cricket Festival at MC Weiler Primary School on Friday, 14 May 2021 (4)

Please note: All images provided are courtesy of Cricket South Africa / Backpages (Sam Shivambu).


KFC Mini-Cricket Regional Festival: Limpopo - 18-19 May 2021


 

It has been over a year in the making but the wait is finally over for aspiring cricketers as the KFC Mini-Cricket programme resumed its on-field action this month and recently held KFC Mini-Cricket Regional Festivals in Limpopo earlier this week

 

Over the two days of socially distanced fun, excitement and promising displays at the crease, Cricket South Africa (CSA) in partnership with KFC visited Phalaborwa on Tuesday, 18 May, where they hosted Rethusitswe Primary and Phondo Primary, along with 68 kids and 22 volunteer coaches.

 

The next day, the festivities moved to Bochum in Polokwane, where a similar number of boys and girls, and their coaches from Rapoho Primary, Mangwoto Primary and Maswene Primary, got to interact with CSA mascot, ZAC as well as Proteas Team Manager, Kgomotso ‘Volvo’ Masubulele – who is originally from Limpopo.

 

These KFC Mini-Cricket Regional Festivals form part of a 2020/21 KFC Mini-Cricket season relaunch undertaken by CSA to help provide an enjoyable but more importantly, safe environment for the kids to get active after a prolonged absence due to the restrictions caused by the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak.

 

Ahead of the resumption, to ensure the players, coaches and teachers’ safety, KFC Mini-Cricket identified non-hotspot regions across the country where non-contact school sport can take place.

 

They have also procured Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and sanitisers for all participating schools, provided extra playing equipment to limit sharing between players, as well as arrange additional personnel to help facilitate the COVID-19 protocols for each school.

 

CSA’s Mass Participation Coordinator, Buhle Motshegoa is pleased with how the Limpopo-leg of the KFC Mini-Cricket Regional Festivals went, highlighting the immense passion for the game that exists, as well as the bright talent on show in the province. A province that produced the likes of former Proteas Women’s star, Mercia Letsoalo, Titans coach, Mandla Mashimbyi and legendary South African fast bowler, Dale Steyn.

 

“We are extremely happy that the 2020/21 KFC Mini-Cricket season was able to get underway in the form of the Regional Festivals and that we once again get to see our mini cricketers and coaches play with smiles on their faces,” Motshegoa commented.

 

“As soon as we arrived in Phalaborwa, you could sense the positive energy, and passion for the sport in all those involved in making the two-day cricketing spectacle a resounding success, while we adhered to the strict COVID-19 health regulations.

 

“Although getting kids active in a fun and enjoyable way is the main goal, we also got to witness some sensational talent on the field, between both the boys and girls. This bodes well, not only for the growth of the KFC Mini-Cricket programme but also for the South African cricket pipeline,” she added.

 

About KFC Mini-Cricket:

 

KFC Mini-Cricket provides a platform for kids in South Africa to have fun and get active. KFC Mini-Cricket is the largest grassroots development sports programme in South Africa and is also an essential building block for learning cricketing basics and entrenching a love for the game.

 

As of the 2019/2020 season, there are 126 642 kids from 6617 schools active in the KFC Mini-Cricket programme who are coached by 13 673 volunteer coaches. KFC has sponsored KFC Mini-Cricket since 2010 and in the 2012/13 cricket season KFC became the title sponsor of the KFC T20 Internationals.

 

For more information, please visit https://order.kfc.co.za/minicricket/minicrickethome.

 

Image List (With Captions):

 


  • Paballo Mogofe (Ruthusitwe Primary School) showing great bowling technique as the action heats up during the 2021 KFC Mini Cricket Regional Festival at Ruthusitwe Primary School in Phalaborwa on the 18 May 2021 ©Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix

 


  • Dumisani Manyama (Thusetso Primary School) getting ready to execute a beautiful pull shot during the 2021 KFC Mini Cricket Regional Festival at Ruthusitwe Primary School in Phalaborwa on the 18 May 2021 ©Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix

 


  • CSA Mascot ZAC posing with KFC Mini-Cricket team from Rethusitswe Primary after getting active during the 2021 KFC Mini Cricket Regional Festival at Ruthusitwe Primary School in Phalaborwa on the 18 May 2021 ©Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix

 


  • Volvo Masubelele (CSA Protea Team Manager) coaches Moloko Mapasha (Magwato Primary School) during the 2021 KFC Mini Cricket Activation at Rapoho Primary School in Bochum on the 19 May 2021 ©Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix

 


  • Issac Senatla (Framework U16 Boys) helping Dimakatso Diala (Rapoho Primary School) with her bowling action during the 2021 KFC Mini Cricket Activation at Rapoho Primary School in Bochum on the 19 May 2021 ©Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix