A powerful partnership between Kaizer Chiefs, the FIFA Foundation, and the Department of Correctional Services has yielded remarkable results last Thursday on the 20th of March at Sun City Prison in Johannesburg.
Sixteen female inmates at Johannesburg Correctional Centre [Sun City] have graduated from the Twinning Project, a pioneering football coaching programme designed to rehabilitate and empower women for life back into society upon release.
These inmates made history as they are South Africa’s first female cohort to graduate from the Twinning Project.
The programme, which started in September 2024, offered inmates a comprehensive seven-module training course over a few weeks. Led by Chiefs coaches Dillon Sheppard and Aubrey Mathibe, along with the club’s sports scientist Muzi Maluleke, the programme equipped participants with valuable coaching skills and knowledge.
The graduation ceremony, staged at the Johannesburg Correctional Centre on March 20, 2025, marked a significant milestone in the programme’s success and demonstrated the power of football to foster positive change and rehabilitation.
Notable attendees at the event included the Deputy Minister of Correctional Services, Lindiwe Ntshalintshali; National Commissioner Mokgothi Thobakgale; Twinning Project CEO Hilton Freund; SAFA Deputy President Linda Zwane; and Banyana Banyana Coach Desiree Ellis.
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Beyond football coaching, the initiative fostered transformative life skills, including teamwork, discipline, and communication, empowering inmates to become positive agents of change upon their release.
“We are encouraging them that upon release, they should not recommit crimes and find themselves back in our facilities,” said Lindiwe Ntshalintshali Deputy Minister of Correctional Services.
“We want them to open football clubs and coaching clinic facilities, managed by themselves, so that people can invest in their projects, which will benefit many communities”.
The initiative provided a vital platform for psychological growth, boosting inmates’ confidence, self-esteem, and emotional intelligence, which are essential for successful societal reintegration.
“We are proud to be part of this innovative programme. Our coaches have shared their expertise with the inmates, providing them with valuable coaching skills. We congratulate the graduates and wish them all the best for their futures,” said Jessica Motaung, Kaizer Chiefs’ Marketing and Commercial Director.
Launched globally several years ago, with initial implementations in the UK and other continents, the program connects professional football clubs and institutions to facilitate prisoners’ successful reintegration through release preparation and employment opportunities.
“We are thrilled to see the positive impact of our programme on the lives of these women,” said Hilton Freund, Global CEO of the Training Project, “We congratulate the graduates and wish them continued success on their journey towards rehabilitation and reintegration into society, and to engage in more pro-socially productive behaviour.”