“The pitch we used to play on was just gravel and stones. We’d fall, get injured – but we kept playing,” said a young girl from Skurweberg Secondary School in the Boland. “Now, we can play the sport we love.”
Her gratitude speaks volumes about the impact sport can have when the right support systems are in place. Behind the scenes of rising sports stars, passionate coaches, and communities lies an intentional investment - one that’s transforming lives across South Africa. At the heart of this movement is MultiChoice, whose Corporate Social Investment (CSI) in sport goes far beyond match day.
Fuelling football’s future: The DStv Diski Challenge
For Kick Off readers, the Diski Challenge needs no introduction. Over the past decade, this league has become South Africa’s premier football development pipeline - a proving ground for young talent.
Since 2014, over 350 players have been promoted from the DDC to professional clubs, with alumni like Teboho Mokoena, Percy Tau, Cassius Mailula, and Relebohile Mofokeng now household names.
In 2024 alone, 23 out of 46 U17 and U20 players who represented South Africa at the FIFA World Cups came through the DDC system. And the next wave is already here - Mbekezeli Mbokazi, dubbed “the new OJ Mabizela”, is one of 19 new talents promoted this year.
“Sport in South Africa is more than just a game - it’s a vehicle for change,” says Bonisiwe Dlamini, Senior Manager: Transformation and CSI at MultiChoice. “The DDC is proof that long-term investment builds pathways for the youth to thrive.”
Building more than players
What makes MultiChoice’s strategy different is its ecosystem-wide approach. It’s not just about developing players, but also training referees, broadcasters, coaches, and production crews. The DDC doubles as a real-world training ground, offering hands-on internships to aspiring sports media professionals - producers, camera crews, commentators and more.
Local community TV stations even receive free broadcast rights, helping drive economic value while expanding exposure for young athletes.
Fields of hope
The goal is to build opportunity from the ground up - literally. Through the Let’s Play Multipurpose Sports Fields, more than 140,000 learners across 300 schools now have access to proper sports infrastructure.
These fields don’t just host games - they offer a sense of safety, identity, and community pride. Every participating school also receives kits, and over 250 teachers have been trained through the Premier Skills Teacher Training Programme, run in partnership with the English Premier League.
“We intentionally build in areas with no existing facilities,” says Dlamini. “Otherwise, children fall into the traps of social ills. The fields give them an alternative - a chance to dream.”
The rise of Girls in the game
Football may be the focus, but MultiChoice is also leading the charge in other sport. Through the DStv Schools Netball Challenge (DSNC), over 28,000 schoolgirls across nearly 3,000 schools competed in the 2024 edition - the biggest netball tournament of its kind in the country.
For many rural schools, the DSNC is the first time their teams are broadcast live. In 2023, Khombindlela High School won the DSNC and was named KwaZulu-Natal’s School of the Year, proving that talent thrives when given a platform.
MultiChoice has also partnered with Bestmed and Puma to expand DSNC into coaching clinics, giving young girls from remote schools the chance to train with Spar Proteas players, learn from the best, and visualise a future in sport - no matter where they come from.
Through flagship campaigns like “Here for Her” and “Winning in Her Own Words”, the Group is also working to amplify the voices and stories of women in sport - on and off the field.
“Netball only became professional in South Africa in the last five years, and we’re proud to have played a part in that transformation,” adds Dlamini.
Beyond the stats, it’s the human stories that show the true impact of MultiChoice’s work. From national team call-ups to a girl in the Boland finding joy in a proper playing surface - it’s clear the seeds planted today are already bearing fruit.
“Our goal is simple,” says Dlamini. “We want to create real, lasting change in communities - and sport is one of the most powerful tools we have to do that.”
Download MultiChoice’s latest ESG Report here and see how sport is changing lives - on and off the field.