Inaugural Laureus Sport for Good South Africa National Summit a Massive Success!

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(South Africa – December 2016) The inaugural Laureus Sport for Good South Africa National Summit was recently hosted at The Maslow Hotel in Johannesburg and saw 120 delegates from across the country come to together to share thoughts and insights across a multitude of topics all under the banner of sport for good and sports development excellence. The three-day Summit, which was attended by representatives from 19 Laureus-supported projects around the country, Laureus Ambassadors and Laureus funding partners, featured interactive workshops led by some of the most innovative and influential thought leaders in the sport and development community.

Team building exercises and thought-provoking panel sessions, hosted by Laureus ambassadors Cynthia Tshaka, Natalie Du Toit and Dan Nicholl, were interspersed with workshops run by social media, fundraising and sustainability experts, who gave well-rounded and holistic insights into how sport for good projects could be run more effectively.

One of the highlights of the three days included the adrenaline-fueled Mercedes-Benz SA Driving Experience at Zwartkops racetrack near Pretoria. Summit participants were given the choice of four different performance cars to drive – at speed – around a track best known as the home of South African motorsport. This included a Mercedes-AMG C 63 S and the Mercedes-AMG GT – a 4.0-litre twin turbo V8 racing machine with a top speed of 332 km/h.

Other highlights included the Laureus Youth Empowerment through Sport (YES) Programme graduation and Laureus Project Recognition ceremony on the first evening where Laureus-funded projects, YES Experts and Protégés were recognized for their work and dedication, as well as the Laureus sports quiz hosted by Dan Nicholl and dinner at the Emirates Airline Park (formerly Ellis Park) on the second evening of the Summit, in the midst of a typical Johannesburg thunder and lightning storm.

The summit was honoured to have the presence of Laureus Sport for Good Global Foundation Chairman, Dr Edwin Moses, at the three-day event, who has long been an enthusiastic supporter of the Laureus Foundation in South Africa. “I told you I’d be back,” he told participants at the closing ceremony, “And here I am.”

“Under the guidance of Morne du Plessis, the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation in South Africa has for many years been a shining light in the Laureus family.” Moses went on to say. “This was the first National Foundation in the Laureus network when it launched 14 years ago and during that time has established itself as a leading organisation within the sport for development community in South Africa. It is an honour for me to be here to witness the first ever Laureus Sport for Good Summit staged on a national level, and it’s even better to hear that moving forward this Summit will be a regular fixture on the Laureus calendar each year!”

Day three marked World AIDS Day and a youth panel discussion focused on the contribution that young people are making to sport and their communities. It was heartening to hear male delegates vocally support women’s issues and former Miss Earth, Catherine Constantinides, stress the importance of environmental awareness. The panel opened everyone’s eyes to the fact that you are never too young to start making a positive difference in the world.

The summit ended at the Discovery Soccer Park where delegates enjoyed a range of sporting activities led by the Laureus funded Johannesburg-based projects and also provided the opportunity for attendees to get tested for HIV, high cholesterol and blood pressure as part of World AIDS Day. All 200 people present at this initiative also created their own version of the global craze known as the ‘Mannequin Challenge’.

The inaugural Laureus Sport for Good South Africa National Summit was a resounding success and introduced members of the diverse Laureus network in South Africa to each other, with the key objective being to create a collaborative platform for those who attended to draw on best practices from within, and outside, the Laureus organisation. By providing these opportunities to the broader network, Laureus aims to strengthen, unite and inspire the sport for social change community in South Africa.

The event was proudly sponsored and supported by Laureus Sport for Good South Africa Country Patron, Mercedes-Benz.

Below please find the few short video clips surrounding the Summit: