In South Africa, most townships are underdeveloped and exhibit poor sanitation, poverty, and frequent violence. Nearly 20% of children between the ages of 16 and 18 are not enrolled in any social development programs, leading to idleness and increased exposure to social ills such as drug usage, crime, and violence.

One of the most impoverished areas, Soweto, highlights these issues. Despite the potential benefits of sports in providing structure and positive outlets for youth, the sporting facilities in Soweto are woefully underfunded and inadequate, hindering efforts to use sports for youth development and crime prevention.

Additionally, mental health challenges among youth have become more prominent, especially during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. Issues such as depression, anxiety, trauma, and suicide were exacerbated, affecting many societal groups. There was also an increase in occurrences of gender-based violence and the mistreatment of women and children, compounding the difficulties faced by the community.

Sport for development is crucial to promoting a variety of positive outcomes off the field of play and includes several programs aiming to use sport as a force for social change. It teaches fundamental values like integrity, teamwork, fair play, respect for rules, and respect for others and themselves. Implementing sports and recreation programs in schools is essential for young people, as it promotes the growth of social and personal skills.

The Mac Masina Foundation Community Sports Programme is an after-school program aimed at young people aged 14 to 35 from Greater Soweto. The program focuses on rugby, athletics, netball, and soccer as social development instruments. Its primary goal is to enhance young people’s social circumstances, with a strong emphasis on community development and upliftment.

The program aims not only to provide young people with social skills through sports but also to offer them the possibility of pursuing sports as a career path to combat youth unemployment. It incorporates a five-pillar strategy based on a theoretical framework of resilience and positive youth development, striving to develop young people’s character, connection, competence, and compassion.