“We see you”: Banyana Banyana star paving the way for future generations through Thembi Kgatlana Foundation

“I was about 12 years old when I joined an official women’s team, and I didn’t know this existed,” she said. “It came as a very huge surprise for me, and I was very interested to see where playing football would actually take me.”

Then followed a journey full off triumphant highs both domestically and internationally. But more importantly, a career which allows her to continue her dedicated work with her foundation to improve opportunities for girls who stand where Thembi stood.

Sowing the seeds for the Thembi Kgatlana Foundation

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Thembi notes she always had ‘a dream’ but she patiently waited for the right moment, as ‘some dreams come later than expected’. For Thembi, the defining moment came when she returned from the 2016 Rio Olympics.

“I realised there’s so much that could be done for women’s football. Not just getting the girls to play but rather we want to change their lives,” she said.

Thembi knew there was a big space for women’s football back home and set out to raise awareness through word of mouth. While men’s tournaments were the norm, she went out to speak to fans and pitched the idea of the foundation.

“I thought, why not go out, get some funds, pitch this idea to people to say ‘hey, women’s football is growing everywhere else in the rest of the world, So why don’t we just start the ship now to see where it will get us?'”

The forward recognised it would take a lot of ‘time and investment’, but was willing to take small steps towards her goal of changing the lives of so many back home.

Having come from an underprivileged community, what stood out was something deeply personal.

“Girls were missing school. And not only girls that are playing sports, they miss school because they get their periods, and that affected their performances in school,” she explained. “I imagined that if they play sports, that means they miss going to school and going to play football.”

It was these revelations which planted the seeds for the Thembi Kgatlana Foundation, where sport can help drive a change for the girls back in South Africa.

‘Buy a Girl a Pad’ campaign

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The ‘Buy a Girl a Pad’ campaign has become central to work of the foundation.

By asking people for donations, the foundation was able to provide girls with 12 packs of sanitary pads, so they were able to attend sports and school for the whole year.

In 2021, the movement hit new highs by raising enough money to purchase 2,500 packs of sanitary pads. The solution was practical, but its impact on girls has been transformative.

“I think a lot of girls throughout the rest of the world, they just need an opportunity, they need someone to believe in them,” Thumb said. “That’s how we show that we believe in them by giving them something that is part of their journey so they can go to school and play any sport and not miss the things that really matter in their lives.”

Success of the foundation

Thembi details how a ‘really big milestone’ arose just a few years into their work.

“Three or four years into the project of running my foundation, we had two girls who got their national call-ups,” she explained.

“We created a platform for someone not to miss school, for someone not to miss sports and now national coaches are coming to see them.”

For Thembi, who had to leave home at 15 to play football, here main drive is ‘bringing opportunities’ to people.

“It was really a moment of pride for me to say that I was able to get out, but now I bring the opportunities that I carry so that other girls can have those opportunities with them.”

Success for the foundation is not about the number of players that go on to play for Banyana Banyana. Rather, success is about alleviating the barriers young girls face and not making them choose between their education, health or football.

The power of opportunity

Opportunity is at the heart of the foundation. It’s not just about giving the girls an opportunity through kit or sanitary pads, but giving them these opportunities in a ‘sustainable’ way.

The foundation’s work doesn’t just consist of dropping the equipment off and leaving the players. No, the foundation’s work goes much deeper.

“It’s more about a plan not just ticking boxes. It is us dropping off the pads, following up with the players, seeing that they get national call-ups at junior level or at senior level, fulfilling their dreams.”

Making history at AFCON

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Thembi is one of the most recognisable female athletes in South Africa. She describes 2018 as the ‘biggest of her career’.

The year saw her take home Player of the Tournament and Top Scorer at the Africa Cup of Nations, while also winning African Player of the Year.

“It really shaped me or even created a path for me internationally. I think from there, more people started recognising me as a player, as a South African player, and also the impact that I had for my national team, because from there, my football career started growing.”

After playing in the United States with Houston Dash, her newfound fame led to moves across the globe. Playing in China, Portugal, Spain, and now Mexico has helped create a platform where change was possible.

Giving back across borders

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Although Thembi’s career has taken her across continents, her focus firmly remains on girls back home.

“These girls don’t just see me on TV, I also come back to also show them this is the way I started. So they can also see that my story is similar to their story.”

The commitment to her foundation has also shaped how she approaches her career — actively seeking for her clubs to partner the foundation.

Thembi praises Nike, her sponsor, who provide equipment such as boots and kit for the girls.

“I’m very thankful to Nike as my sponsor to be able to also understand the work that we do with the foundation to be able to come with us to these communities, to these teams to give out these boots. It’s a good thing that I have people around me who also want to see my dream of giving back the success that I had to all the other girls.”

Thembi also believes the action isn’t just about giving a pair of boots, but providing the equipment which opens a pathway into the world of professional sport.

“Some of the girls, they don’t go to training because they have no equipment,” she said. “So now when we even bring this equipment to them, it gives them a chance to be able to compete, to be able to play and that’s the job that we do and we love doing the job.”

Racing Louisville

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When Thembi returned to America and signed for Racing Louisville in 2022, her foundation was a main topic of conversation. She recounts those early meetings with the club before signing her contract.

“A bigger project started with Louisville where I told them before I signed: ‘This is what I have and I would love for you guys to give back to the community’. These girls don’t just see me on TV or see me on social media but they know the team that I play for is able to send help to them.”

The club agreed and alongside Nike, sent new kit over to the foundation.

Now in Mexico with Tigres, Thembi continues to grow her network to provide resources to the communities that need them most.

“They partnered with my foundation to send back some clothes in South Africa to give away to the teams and to the girls. It was really something huge for me and I always appreciate that because not only do I play for the team but I also know that I’m playing for the people that are looking and supporting the team.”

What does the future look like for the Thembi Kgatlana Foundation?

The future is clear. It’s about continuing to provide opportunities for those who need it most.

“It’s not just about me being a current player,” she explained. “I’m doing this work because I’m a current player, but it’s about creating a legacy, creating opportunities for these young girls and for them to know that actually it’s possible to be in the spaces that they think and dream about.”

She admits the world is changing and it is ‘easier’ now with more women’s football being televised, but there is still work to be done.

Because ultimately, the goal is bigger than football.

It’s about building a future where no girl misses school because of her period. A future where no child skips training because she lacks the equipment. A future where opportunity is not defined by circumstance.

“My success is our success.”

It’s the mantra that runs deep through the Thembi Kgatlana Foundation — turning her individual success into a shared opportunity.

For the next generation watching from the sidelines, what they see on TV no longer has to feel unattainable, it too can become their reality through the foundation’s work.

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