Premier League and SAFA to Talk Football Development at the African Forum

This year’s Soccerex African Forum, 1-2 October, in Durban, will see the introduction of a dedicated Regional Development Seminar where the Premier League, South African Football Association, Moses Mabhida Stadium and the 2010 FIFA World Cup Legacy Trust will all be speaking.

The three-part seminar will look at the key components of football development across South Africa at both a Municipal and Provincial level. It will provide strategies for local governments to achieve the ‘2030 Vision’ set out in the National Sport and Recreation Plan by the South African Government.

With key decision makers from Municipalities and Provinces across South Africa, as well continental government dignitaries in attendance, the Seminar will play a crucial step in creating an environment where ideas and best practice can be shared and developed. 

The first session will focus on the National Sport and Recreation Plan (NSRP) where a government expert will discuss the three core pillars of the plan; being an active nation, creating a winning nation and producing an enabling environment.

The second part of the workshop titled ‘Managing Municipal Owned Sports Facilities & Win Win Lease Agreements’ will see Greg Fredericks, General Manager, 2010 FIFA World Cup Legacy trust and Vusi Mazibuko, Stadium Manager, Moses Mabhida Stadium discuss how Municipalities are supported when it comes to building local sporting facilities and how they should be managed to ensure that these venues can deliver safe and high level multisport programmes all year round.

Finally, the third session will see the focus turn towards programme delivery with Robin Peterson, CEO, South African Football Association Development Agency and Tim Vine, Head of Public Affairs, English Premier League heading the discussion. The pair will discuss how SAFA’s development plans and the Premier League’s Premier Skills Programme are helping to ensure that the correct standard of coaching and training is being delivered, as well as how new partnerships can be established with international sporting institutions.

The Soccerex African Forum will bring together 1,000 senior football decision makers together with businesses from across the continent and the world for two days of unrivalled learning, networking and business opportunities to unite the business of football in Africa. You can find the conference agenda for this year’s Forum here: http://www.mysoccerex.com/AF13ConferenceProgramme.pdf