FNB, in partnership with Cape Town City FC (CTCFC), hosted a five-day Varsity Player Experience to empower young varsity football players with mentorship and master classes to be well-rounded professionals. The varsity players also got the opportunity to engage and get expert advice from industry experts and CTCFC professional players. This experience gave the young varsity football players exposure to how to conduct themselves on and off the soccer field and how to build their personal brands.
Now in its second year, the FNB Varsity Player Experience is an annual five-day programme for top-performing varsity football players. This programme started in 2022 to give star varsity football players the opportunity to experience professional football life by spending time with CTCFC.
Rob Gwerengwe, CEO of FNB Personal Segment Advisory and Suites says, “This year we’ve not only expanded the experience from 6 to 10 players selected by CTCFC’s technical team based on performances in the Varsity Football tournaments, but we have also added some key workshops for them, including financial education, media training, social media training, and personal branding. This programme ensures that they are prepared off the field for what is to come, entering the professional space fully prepared to achieve sustainable success.”
“CTCFC is delighted to be a part of the FNB Varsity Player experience, achieving so much in only its second year. The programme solves a key disconnect between the abundant football talent in South Africa and meaningful opportunities to nurture and platform that talent into the world of professional sport. By investing in football holistically, FNB is able to unlock this unique opportunity for these amazing aspiring young professionals. Graduates have gone on to sign professional contracts and earn national team call-ups, proving the power and reality of FNB’s grassroots to greatness strategy,” added Michel Comitis, Managing Director of CTCFC.
“FNB is a proud sponsor of CTCFC, and through our partnership, we remain committed to growing and investing in young talent from grassroots to greatness. We do so with initiatives like FNB Football First, a development programme that caters to under 13 and under 15 players, and Varsity Football which has produced several players for some of our national teams,” concluded Gwerengwe.
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