Siya Kolisi’s journey from Zwide to Springbok captain is one of South African sport’s best-known stories. But the work connected to his name back home is not only about inspiring young rugby players. Through the Kolisi Foundation, Siya and Rachel Kolisi have backed a programme designed to support children in several parts of their lives at once.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The Siyaphakama Zwide Schools Project works with six primary schools in Zwide, Gqeberha. “Siyaphakama” means “we are rising” and the project takes its name from Siya and his mother, Phakama. The programme brings together the Kolisi Foundation, Ubuntu Pathways, United Through Sport and KaziBantu. Its stated aims include physical education, nutrition, academic learning, life skills and youth employment.
That mix is important. Sport can bring young people together, build confidence and offer a positive place to spend time. But a child’s chances are also shaped by whether they have eaten, whether there is a safe place to play and whether school is giving them the support they need. The Zwide project is built around that wider picture.
The foundation says its programme includes breakfast nutrition support, physical education, an after-school inter-school league, training for teachers and coaches, sports equipment and upgrades to existing facilities. It also creates sport coordinator internship opportunities for young people. In other words, there are ways for young people to participate, and ways for the community to build skills and capacity around them.
The foundation itself was established by Siya and Rachel with a vision of changing stories of inequality and supporting thriving communities. Its broader work includes food security and efforts to create safe spaces through education and sport.
It would be easy to focus on the famous face at the centre of the project. But the programme’s shape suggests a more collective effort. The foundation works alongside local partners, schools and community members who understand the day-to-day realities in Zwide. That collaboration is essential if a project is going to last beyond a photo opportunity or a single visit.
For young learners, a breakfast, a coach who knows their name or a functioning sports space may seem like small things. Put together, they can change how a school day feels and what a child believes is possible.
Kolisi’s story began in the Eastern Cape, but the work now is about helping other young people find their own paths. Rugby may be the entry point. The goal is much bigger: healthier, more confident children with more support around them.
