Jan De Nul supports social soccer project in Philippi Village, Cape Town

Soccer match in Philippi Village, Cape Town

The township of Philippi Village in Cape Town has 32 soccer clubs, but only a few usable soccer pitches. To give young people the chance to play their sport properly and with pleasure, the Belgian Chamber of Commerce in South Africa and the Belgian Consulate General in Cape Town took the initiative to refurbish a soccer pitch in very poor condition. The project was made possible thanks to a fundraising effort in the Belgian business community in South Africa, to which Jan De Nul happily participated.

In full, this socio-economic project is called the "Philippi Village Soccer Pitch Improvement Project". With the support of the sponsors, the neglected soccer pitch was levelled and new goals were installed. Besides that, the capital raised was also used to purchase soccer kits and necessary equipment, a container clubhouse and a line marking machine. To breathe new life into the soccer pitch and add some colour to the surroundings, artwork was applied to the container hub around the field. The result is a radiant backdrop for players to enjoy while playing their favourite sport.

On 26 March, the pitch was officially inaugurated in the presence of King Filip and Queen Mathilde, who were on a state visit to South Africa at the time. King Filip signed the mural by Wayne BKS, a well-known South African urban artist, on the clubhouse. The mural symbolises inspiration and hope and also includes the logos of the sponsors who supported the project.

“Jan De Nul Group attaches great importance to having a positive social impact in the areas where we operate. Being based in South Africa, we immediately felt connected to the Philippi project when we were asked to support it. We knew that through soccer, the lives of many young people from this disadvantaged area would be positively affected, so we were very happy to contribute to this project.”

Koen Hutsebaut

Business Development Manager