Investing in The Future of SA Football

Grand Parade Investments and its subsidiary, Burger King, have made a commitment to be part of the solution to football in South Africa.

Following the national team’s sustained performance challenges, Grand Parade Investments has decide to invest in the South African Football Association (SAFA) in support of three national tournaments to identify, develop and nurture football talent in South Africa.

Executive Chairman of Grand Parade Investments, Hassen Adams, is the driving force behind the company’s passion: to be a profitable and successful enterprise in the gaming and leisure industry, while at the same time uplifting and rewarding its shareholders.

GPI’s shareholders include thousands of ordinary people from the marginalised communities in South Africa’s historically disadvantaged areas.

“We believe that our role at GPI extends beyond business into our communities, where we have identified the youth as a critical area for development. We regard football as a key enabler, which is why we have decided to start building a partnership with SAFA.”

“One of the solutions for South African football is to develop structures from the ground up, allowing young talent to be identified and developed. We believe that the three tournaments for under 17, under 19 and under 19 women, will be a major contributor to creating a sustainable platform for national selection.”

Nine provincial teams will compete in each category at the Tournaments, the first of which takes place at the end of March 2014. Ultimately, the provincial selectors will identify a team in each category to participate at international level. From these players, SAFA will be able to select future Bafana Bafana players.

“This is a new beginning for South African football, and Grand Parade Investments, as well as Burger King, are proud to be associated with a solution driven initiative that will benefit communities and youth all over the country”, Hassen Adams emphasised. “We want to rejuvenate football, find the best players, bring them through the ranks and give them the opportunity to be properly coached to be able to represent their country at the highest levels in world football”.

“Our late former President, Nelson Mandela, recognised that sport was a powerful vehicle to unite the country. He had the vision to identify the important role that sport and rugby in particular could play in uniting the different races in South Africa whilst becoming Rugby World Champions”.

“We believe that success on the football field can be the catalyst for uniting the whole of Africa and we look forward to this being the start of a campaign to bring World Cup success to Africa and more particularly South Africa” said Adams.

- SAFA