London mayor Sadiq Khan champions youth empowerment through sport in Cape Town

The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, visited Cape Town this week as part of his first-ever African trade tour.

Speaking at The Atlas Foundation’s South African programme, Mr Khan said it was a privilege to witness the impact of sport in transforming young lives.

“I’m delighted to be here celebrating our shared history and love of sport in South Africa as we continue building a better, fairer, more prosperous London for everyone,” he said in a statement.

At the Villagers FC Rugby Club in Claremont, he joined more than 40 youngsters in a rugby session and spent time engaging with staff and volunteers from The Atlas Foundation.

The charity works in communities such as Masiphumelele, Ocean View, Langa, and Wynberg, using rugby and mentoring to foster safe, supportive environments for young people.

The South African arm of Atlas began in 2019 with the launch of the All Schools Programme, which aims to address crime, inequality, and discrimination by equipping young people with the tools to succeed both in school and in life.

Today, that vision has grown into well-established initiatives at Ocean View High and Masiphumelele High, where learners are supported academically and personally.

Atlas also runs four additional programmes across South Africa, Eswatini, and Kenya, including the Atlas DigiBus - a mobile digital classroom operating in Langa - and the Gauteng Women’s Rugby Institute, which focuses on empowering young women through sport and mentoring.

Sue Anderson, executive director of Atlas South Africa, said the mayor’s visit marked a proud milestone for the organisation.

“Together, through the unifying spirit and values of rugby, we are not only changing lives but also laying the groundwork for a more just and equitable future for all,” she said.

During his visit, Mr Khan also announced a new £1.4 million (approximately R33 million) round of funding for Go! London - the capital’s largest ever community sport fund. This initiative is exclusively for projects based in the United Kingdom and is not open to applicants from outside the UK.

The Atlas Foundation, founded by former England Rugby World Cup winner Jason Leonard OBE, operates in 21 countries, promoting education, health, and wellbeing through sport.

Its work in South Africa aligns with TackleLondon - a programme supporting vulnerable youth in the UK through rugby and mentoring.

TackleLondon is a joint initiative by The Atlas Foundation, the Matt Ratana Rugby Foundation, and the Star Scheme, and forms part of the Mayor’s £34 million (approximately R80 billion) mentoring strategy.

Former Springbok and Atlas SA champion Joel Stransky said it was a privilege to support young people through the sport that has given so much to the nation.

“The beautiful game not only helped bring us together as a nation in 1995. It has also given many of us so much,” he said. “We all extend a very warm South African welcome to the mayor of London.”

Ms Anderson added that the visit was more than symbolic - it was an affirmation for the young people involved.

“This truly has the power to change the narrative of our beautiful country,” she said.