Today, Sasol continued its long standing support for South African football by becoming the first corporate sponsor of the South African Football Association Development Agency (SDA) for the next three years.

The partnership forms part of Sasol’s contribution to SAFA’s technical master plan and is in line with Sasol’s commitment to sustainable development and delivering meaningful contribution to the communities within which it operates.

The agency is tasked with implementing the South African Football Association (SAFA) Technical Master Plan, dubbed Vision 2022 by incoming president Danny Jordaan. The goal of the plan is to have all SAFA National Teams ranked in the top three in Africa and the top 20 in the world over the next 10 years.

“We are excited about this project and it is an excellent example of how we can deliver through partnerships. Sasol’s approach to sustainable development depends on building strong and mutually beneficial relationships and we are proud to be working with the Football Association and contributing to the development plan,” said Maurice Radebe, Sasol Group Executive.

The plan has seven pillars to it. These include the development of a national playing philosophy, the training and licensing of thousands of coaches, the identification and development of talent from the earliest age, as well as the organisation of structured competition at a local football association (LFA) level.

The implementation of all seven streams of the Plan must take place at a Local Football Association level. This is where Sasol’s sponsorship will be directed, with the sponsorship reaching two SAFA Regions, being  Gert Sibande in Mpumalanga and Fezile Dabi in the Free State, over a three year period.

“We are delighted that Sasol has become the first corporate partner in our bold vision to change football from the ground up.  Vision 2022 is going to need multiple partners for success, and we hope that Sasol’s confidence in our Vision will inspire others to join”, said Dr Robin Petersen, CEO of the SAFA Development Agency.

In June this year, Sasol extended its partnership with the football association when they extended their sponsorship of women’s football, i.e. Banyana Banyana (senior women’s national team) and the Sasol League (women’s provincial football league) for another four years to June 2017.

Sasol has been involved with the development of football for over 20 years. Initially with the National U/23 Football Team “Amaglug-glug” and, more recently, with women’s football in Banyana Banyana and the Sasol League.  This further cements their commitment to the development of football in our country.

“When we were preparing to take office, we identified development as the key priority of the SAFA administration. This sponsorship will inspire confidence in our Vision 2022 in the business sector, and will provide us with an important starting point for the implementation of our plan,” says SAFA President, Dr Danny Jordaan.  “Thank you Sasol for your support.”

Issued by:

Alex Anderson, Group Media Manager
Direct telephone +27 (11) 441 3295; Mobile +27 (0) 71 600 9605;
alex.anderson@sasol.com

Jacqui O’Sullivan, GM: Group Communication
Direct telephone +27 (11) 441 3252; Mobile +27 (0) 82 883 9697;
jacqui.osullivan@sasol.com