Mbekweni Community Sports Centre

Our long term aim is to build capacity in communities so that there is the ability, competence and team to both manage the centres and run the programmes with minimal external input.

The centres we build are designed to be as sustainable as possible, within the environmental context, with innovation such as translucent panelling to allow light entry, thermally powered extract fans etc.

Indoor centre

• 40m x 20 m artificial floodlit pitch
• Changing rooms, showers etc
• Inclusive – disabled – girls
• Seating for 380
• Kitchen/food facilities
• Training rooms, counselling rooms etc
• Football, futsal, tag rugby, netball
• Community centre for music etc
• Sustainable design
• Outdoor all weather netball
• Outdoor cricket nets

Mbekweni Township

Mbekweni, which means ‘a place of respect’ in the local language Xhosa, is a township in the Western Cape area of South Africa about 60km north of Cape Town. Mbekweni has an official population of 24,000, although the actual population is estimated to be over 50,000 people, with 40% under the age of 15. Almost half of all residents live below the South African poverty line, in often over-crowded conditions lacking basic facilities. More than 1 in 5 are living with HIV/AIDS and average life expectancy in the township is only 54 years. Crime poses a significant challenge in Mbekweni, with the murder rate almost 50 times higher than the UK rate.