Young leader setting an example

Nhlanhla did not allow himself to be swallowed up by the many social ills that have destroyed the youth of Zandspruit.

Zandspruit Sports Forum founder, Nhlanhla George Nkosi, walking the dusty streets of Zandspruit. 

“It’s not about where you come from, but where you’re going.”

Zandspruit-born Nhlanhla George Nkosi’s life journey speaks exactly to those inspiring words.

Nhlanhla did not allow himself to be swallowed up by the many social ills that have destroyed the youth of Zandspruit. After realising that someone had to stand up for change in the impoverished community, the 34-year-old leader founded the Zandspruit Sports Forum, a project which he uses to tackle social challenges. He also joined the Ward committee in 2011, in support of his mission to change his birthplace for the better.

“I saw a challenge in the young people who were getting involved in substance abuse. I realised that this was due to the lack of service delivery in Zandspruit,” he said.

This fuelled Nhlanhla’s vision – of a Sports Development Forum, which would focus on different sporting codes. The idea became a reality and so he started setting his short-, medium- and long-term goals, in a bid to combat social ills such as abuse, and encouraging child-headed families to get the best education they could.

Nhlanhla is a Witwatersrand University student who is studying towards a Bachelor’s Degree in Politics. His hard work has not gone unrecognised as he earned an opportunity to work in the Minister of Labour’s office in Pretoria. Added to this achievement, he was re-elected as part of the Ward 114 committee, where he represents the younger generation in his community.

As netball and soccer seem to be the most favoured sports in Zandspruit, Nhlanhla said his long-term wish is to build a recreational centre where he can expose the youth to other sporting codes. “My long-term vision is to have a recreational centre that will cater for all sporting facilities as well as a stadium for local clubs to have a home ground. This will allow us to produce professional soccer teams and show our talent to the nation and the entire globe,” he said.

Over the years, other organisations, such as Impophomo, have begun to show an interest in Nhlanhla’s plan to enhance change through education and sports.