An upgraded community sports field in Moduane Village was officially handed over this weekend, giving hundreds of young people in the area access to a quality space to play, train and compete.
The project, delivered by the MultiChoice Group’s Sport and Development Trust in partnership with the Solly Malatsi Legacy Foundation (SML) - founded by Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies Solly Malatsi, has transformed a previously unused school ground into a fully functional football facility for the community, creating a space that supports both organised competition and everyday play.
The new field includes three changing rooms, a 200-seater embankment, full services: water, electricity and sanitation, a perimeter wall to secure the facility and natural grass pitch. It will now serve as the home of the SML foundation’s annual football tournament, which brings together more than 600 young players from Moduane and surrounding villages each year.
“Grassroots football is the theatre of dreams for many amateur football players. So, an investment in proper football fields in rural communities like this will no doubt open doors for many of these youngsters to pursue their dreams.
We want to applaud MultiChoice for upgrading soccer firlds in villages and townships. In this day and age, access to world class facilities must be the norm,” said Malatsi.”
Carol Tshabalala
The handover event, hosted by Carol Tshabalala, formed part of the Moduane Village Soccer Festival, where local schools took to the field in a series of matches. Mantheding Primary played against Moraro Primary, while Morutwa Secondary faced Ramabu High.
All participating teams received playing kits, while the winning teams were awarded trophies, medals and training equipment to support their continued development and encourage sustained participation in the sport.
Matches from the day were streamed live on SuperSport Schools, giving the young players the opportunity to showcase their talent to a wider audience and experience the game on a bigger stage.
“We know, from both research and lived experience, that access to sport changes lives,” said Dr Keabetswe Modimoeng, MultiChoice group executive vice president for Public Affairs Rest of Africa. “When designed with equity at its core, grassroots sport delivers powerful benefits social connection, health and education and life skills,” he added.
The Moduane field forms part of MultiChoice’s broader investment in grassroots sport through the MultiChoice Sports and Development Trust. To date, the company has invested more than R40 million in youth sports development initiatives, with a strong focus on building and upgrading facilities in under-resourced communities.
In the past two years, similar multi-purpose sports facilities have been completed at Hoërskool Schweizer-Reneke in the North West, Motswela Secondary School in Kroonstad and Credence Primary School in Bloemfontein. In Limpopo, this includes schools such as Tshithuthuni Primary School in the Vhembe region, as well as Hlabi Senior Secondary School in Mogaung village, which recently received a dedicated netball facility through the same programme, extending access to safe and structured sporting environments for learners across the country.
The handover also reflects the continued focus on community development in the province, including efforts championed by Minister Solly Malatsi, who hails from Limpopo and has highlighted the role of sport in youth development.
Through partnerships, The MultiChoice Sport and Development Trust impact has grown even further.
Over the last 36 months, 16 Centres of Sporting Excellence have been built across South Africa, reaching more than 200,000 children and strengthening the foundations of school sport nationwide.
The handover in Moduane reflects a continued commitment to expanding access to sport in communities where facilities are limited, ensuring that more young people have the opportunity to play, develop and be part of something bigger.
