The end of 2020 felt like a milestone moment. After a year in which we all grappled with the ongoing pandemic, our lives disrupted, separated from our loved ones and friends, there was something cathartic about the calendar changing. Perhaps it was just that we had been telling ourselves for so many months that this was just a year we had to survive, and that better things were around the corner.  Of course, the hundreds of thousands of children and young people supported by the programmes that Laureus funds faced an even greater challenge. Already at risk, already isolated, already facing violence, poverty, lack of access to safe spaces, lack of technology and lack of opportunity, their plight was exacerbated by the pandemic. The challenges that we all faced were multiplied for them.  All at Laureus are deeply proud of the way our partner programmes stepped up to the plate – innovating, adapting, improvising and finding new ways to still reach those young people, to keep them safe and change their lives.

We worked hard to support those sterling efforts. We brought together partners from around the world to launch the Sport for Good Response Fund, providing new grants to organisations in various countries.. We adapted our existing grants to best serve the changing needs of our partners. As so many of those partners turned to digital delivery for the first time, we worked with UNICEF to develop new online child safeguarding tools. We created our own virtual spaces across multiple timezones for our programme leaders to come together, sharing problems and solutions. And we were proud to work with so many of the Laureus Academy Members and Ambassadors in their own efforts – whether fundraising for local health services or working to share the latest public health advice to as wide an audience as possible.  The truth, though, is that while the end of 2020 felt like a milestone, the battle is not over. We face the same challenges in 2021. The pandemic is ongoing, and even when vaccinations, masks, social distancing and other methods finally defeat it – and they will – the social impact will be felt for many years, and felt most by those at-risk youth we work so hard to support. That is always the case with disasters. Buildings are rebuilt after the earthquake, neighbourhoods are cleaned up after the flood, but the disruption to education, to normal life, to the services that were previously seen as vital but had to be stopped at the height of the crisis have a knock-on effect. Generations end up forgotten.

At Laureus, we pledge we will not forget them. We will be here in 2021, in 2022, and for as long as it takes to prove President Mandela was right when he said that “Sport has the power to change the world.”  We thank all of you: our Global Partners Mercedes-Benz, IWC Schaffhausen and MUFG; The Ignition Group, The Cape Wheel, Tsogo Sun and our other funders and supporters in South Africa; the Academy Members and Ambassadors who champion our work; and most of all those community leaders who continue to devote so much effort and energy to standing up for, protecting and empowering the world’s most vulnerable children and young people. We know you will continue to work to help change their lives. We will be right by your side.

Adam Fraser
Chief Executive of Laureus Sport for Good

The Novel Coronavirus (Covid-19) has caused multiple setbacks in South Africa’s development. At the same time, we have seen how solidarity can drive value-added collaborations that lead to more sustainable communities. During this global pandemic, Mercedes-Benz South Africa (MBSA) has experienced the importance and strength of partnerships. The Covid-19 pandemic has been a great reminder that through strong partnerships, we can achieve positive outcomes.

Our seven (7) year country patronship with the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation South Africa continues to play an imperative role to fulfil our aspirations and responsibility to develop the South African youth and enable them to positively contribute to the economy.

The claim that sport can be a great tool to foster social change and cohesion has never been more true. Despite the national state of disaster resulting in the lockdown and subsequently the postponements to physical sporting events, MBSA was delighted to have their Friends of the Brand join the series of virtual conversations with Laureus ambassadors, and partners, as they shared stories of hope and resilience with the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation South Africa Supporters’ Club members.

Community support made it possible

In aid of the Foundation, our contribution of a brand-new Mercedes-Benz A-Class Sedan towards the Laureus Supporters’ Club draw is another effort to promote community support and encourage the public to actively participate in shaping their communities and enacting change. This initiative has enjoyed heartening support from the public and demonstrated the will of South Africans to help one another during times of crisis.

In 2021, we continue to expand our efforts and ambitious agenda of positive social impact through sports by supporting the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation South Africa. We are confident that this strategic partnership will go a long way in liberating the youth and renewing their hope of a better and brighter future through the power of sports.

Johannes Fritz
Co-CEO Mercedes-Benz South Africa & Executive Director Mercedes-Benz Cars