Alexandra’s finest female footballer, Simphiwe Dludlu believes women’s football will never be the same again following the launch of the #BetwayCare Skills Hub.
Dludlu, famously known in the township by her soccer nickname, Shorty for her diminutive stature, has been appointed ambassador of the skills hub formed by Betway South Africa in partnership with Futballing Girls. The hub will strive to upskill women who are involved in the beautiful game with the requisite skills for the nationwide advancement of women’s football.
Betway will provide an opportunity for 16 community-based women to take part in an accredited sport administration and leadership course, as part of the brand’s refined approach to community sport development.
The three-day workshop is set to take place at Gauteng Sports Confederation at Johannesburg Stadium from 23 to 25 February. Selected participants will be upskilled in different areas including financial management, marketing, leadership, and sponsorship.
The course is geared at equipping each participant with the necessary training and skills needed to become more effective sport administrators within their respective communities.
Speaking ahead of the course, Shorty, a former Banyana Banyana captain and now coach of the U17 national women’s team, said she was looking forward to the start of what she believed would change the face of community sport in South Africa.
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“Sport in our communities has been waiting for something as innovative as the #BetwayCares Skills Hub. The full potential of community sport development can only be fulfilled with passionate sport administrators who are trained and qualified to take community sport to even greater heights.
“This programme will bring much-needed change to our communities but most importantly, I am excited about the future employment opportunities that this programme is set to unlock for aspiring female sport administrators,” Dludlu said.
With the #BetwayCares drive having had a positive impact on more than 30 organisations since 2018, Betway South Africa’s marketing manager, David Rachidi said the company was looking forward to rolling out the brand’s new approach to its corporate social responsibility programme.
“The official commencement of the #BetwayCares Skills Hub marks a new and exciting chapter for our ongoing efforts to be a brand that continues to do good in our sporting communities.
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“Coming off the back of a challenging year for sport, we believe that the programme comes at an opportune time, where community sport, now more than ever, needs innovative thinking from passionate and more importantly, qualified administrators, coaches and volunteers,” said Rachidi.
Speaking on behalf of the Women in Sport Awards and Futballing Girls organisation, Moonira Ramathula said the #BetwayCares Skills Hub fitted perfectly with what the Women in Sports Awards had set out to achieve.
“Our Women in Sports Awards are not just about recognition, they are about holistically empowering women, hence the finalists of our administrator of the year category are being given the opportunity to attend this SETA Accredited Leadership Skills Training for Women in Sport.
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“For this reason, the #BetwayCares Skills Hub is a perfect match for us to partner with,” said Ramathula, who is also involved with the recruitment of female rugby players as the chairperson of Gauteng Women’s Rugby Institute and vice-president of the Gauteng Sports Confederation.
Details: www.betwaycares.co.za
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