The Nedbank Golf Challenge (NGC) is one of the highlights of the South African sporting calendar. Spanning over a 40-year history, Nedbank once again solidified itself as Golf’s Greatest Partner by welcoming young and emerging development golfers to fully immerse themselves into the NGC experience.
The talented young individuals have been dedicated to the sport for several years and were not only provided with a chance to network with other golf fans but also got to walk the green and witness their role models in action as well as American golfer, Max Homa, lift the coveted trophy on Sunday afternoon.
Nedbank is a founding trustee of The Sports Trust, which provides support and resources for the development of cycling, golf, and soccer through its Nedbank Sport Affinity programme.
During the exciting weekend of golf, the Nedbank Sport Affinity programme identified upcoming golfers from various communities and treated them to a trip to NGC as a token of inspiration, echoing a message of infinite possibilities no matter one’s background. Ensuring that the impact is made across age groups and genders, the programme has had both girls and boys interchangeably attend the challenge, affording them a chance to network and learn further about the sport to enhance their budding golf careers.
“Nedbank is deeply committed to nurturing the aspirations of young athletes and helping them transform their sporting dreams into reality. This is why we made a conscious choice to provide financial support to The Sports Trust, enabling them to discover and nurture sporting talent,” says Poovi Pillay, Executive Head of Strategy & CSI at Nedbank
Speaking about the work that The Sports Trust continues to do in previously disadvantaged areas, Jackie Mathebula, Chairman of The Sports Trust said, “We are dedicated to fostering the growth of young golfers, as well as other development sports in the schools and communities in which we work.
“Through the work that we do, we recently had the privilege of bringing these aspiring golfers to the prestigious Nedbank Golf Challenge, aiming to inspire and unearth the next potential African golfing sensation from this talented group.” Adds Mathebula.
Hailing from Tembisa in the East of Johannesburg, under the guidance of Coach Frans Molepo, these juniors, including the remarkable Thato Nthate at the age of 16, handicap 7, have showcased their skills by winning prizes at the Ekurhuleni Junior Tournaments. Thato, with a passion for golf, shared his experience, saying, “Coming to the Nedbank Golf Challenge has been a dream come true. I hope to learn from these top golfers and make full use of this experience to fulfil my aspirations in the sport.”
The team from Alexandra, coached by Tshepo Mokoena, is equally remarkable. These junior golfers, all members of The Wanderers Golf Club, are thriving in the sport. Coach Tshepo Mokoena is passionate about coaching and empowering these young golf enthusiasts, providing them with a positive outlet and guiding them towards positive pursuits. These talented juniors, from diverse backgrounds, are expected to benefit significantly from their experience at the Nedbank Golf Challenge, further fueling their aspirations in the world of golf.
You too can #SupportWhatMatters’ by opening and funding a Nedbank savings or investment account, where donations will be made on our behalf to The Sports Trust, at no cost to you. The more you save or invest, the more is donated to this great sports initiative that will advance sports development in South Africa.
