Nestled in the heart of Gardens with Table Mountain as a backdrop, football enthusiasts from different social backgrounds, cultures and gender come together at African Brothers Football Academy. Our motto, 'Umntu Umngumtu Ngabantu' (A person is a person because of other people) is the driving force behind the vision of those dedicated to this community upliftment project. One feels a sense of belonging here, a safe place which offers a range of football activities to be enjoyed by all.
This Academy is the brainchild of Craig Hepburn and Siphiwe Cele who started the project in the Inizamo Yethu community of Hout Bay in 1998. Inspired by Nelson Mandela's belief "to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the lives of others" they decided to build a football academy where these dreams could be realised.
The lack of interest in the development of community facilities in Hout Bay drove Craig to identify an existing facility that could be transformed to cater for community needs. The search began and in 2008 he found the Twistniet Sports campus of Gardens Commercial High School which, at the time had become run down and vandalised by vagrants. This was the perfect opportunity for the African Brothers vision to be realised, to transform the campus into a viable flagship of community development. Gardens Commercial High School shared in this vision and gave the go ahead for the project to begin.
Over the past 3 years African Brothers Football Academy has been transformed into a viable facility that can be utilised by the community. It has taken the persistent hard work and devotion of the African Brothers management team, the willing co-oporation of investors along with continued support from members of both local and international communities, to establish the Academy as it is today.
The football academy now offers a full size 11-a-side grass field, two fully enclosed, flood lit, astro-turfed 5 vs 5 courts, kicking wall/street soccer arena and changing facilities. It has the facilities to host corporate events, football parties for all ages, 5-a-side tournaments for schools and corporations and leagues. It is open 7 days a week offering football opportunities for people of all ages and gender alike.
The current academy is a flagship model for the continued plan to redevelop existing facilities into sustainable community centres on a national and international scale.
Uniting communities through football, we provide a safe place to train, a framework for coaches, players, referees and administrators to raise the standards of soccer in South Africa.
- Football academy
- 5-a-side arena rentals
- 5-a-side leagues & tournaments
- 11-a-side grass pitch rentals
- Football Tour packages
- Corporate event arrangements
- Sponsorship opportunities
