PRESS RELEASE

Toyota South Africa Motors and Kaizer Chiefs wear their Heart on Sleeve to build brighter futures ahead of the 2026 Toyota Cup

The partnership is delivering over R100,000 in support to Rustenburg youth organisation BeThere4Me, turning sleeve sponsorship into hands-on community upliftment.

RUSTENBURG, 24 July 2026. Toyota South Africa Motors and Kaizer Chiefs Football Club’s partnership goes far beyond what happens on the field. While the team is in the final days of training for their Toyota Cup clash with Scottland FC on 26 July 2026 at Royale Bafokeng Stadium, they took time out to bring the Heart on Sleeve initiative to Rustenburg today. Players spent the afternoon at BeThere4Me, a community organisation working to empower young people across the area, and presented them with a R100,000 donation to assist the organisation with tools, space and connectivity to grow its work.

As sponsors of the sleeve of the Kaizer Chiefs jersey, Toyota launched the Heart on Sleeve initiative alongside the club on Mandela Day in 2023, with the brand’s logo becoming a symbol of commitment to the communities the club calls home. Each year the partners choose an organisation close to Amakhosi and its supporters, then show up in person to lend a hand, carrying support from Kliptown to KwaZulu-Natal and now to Rustenburg.

For Toyota, the initiative reflects the company's broader commitment to creating sustainable value in the communities where it operates. Through partnerships that promote education, youth development and community upliftment, Toyota seeks to empower people and help build stronger, more resilient communities. Heart on Sleeve brings this commitment to life by transforming a sponsorship asset into a platform for meaningful social impact.

"Heart on Sleeve was created to ensure that our partnership with Kaizer Chiefs delivers impact beyond the game. At Toyota South Africa Motors, we believe in investing in people and creating opportunities that help communities thrive,” said Tasneem Lorgat, General Manager: Marketing Communications at Toyota South Africa Motors. BeThere4Me is changing lives every day through education, mentorship and youth development and we are proud to contribute resources that will strengthen and expand that impact for years to come. Seeing our employees, Kaizer Chiefs players and community members come together in service of a common purpose is a powerful reminder of what can be achieved when we work together.”

BeThere4Me is a non-profit dedicated to youth empowerment, mentorship and educational support. Its programmes serve communities such as Boitekong and Bokamoso Village, along with local schoolsthrough initiatives such as Girl Talk, the Boys to Men programme, after-school educational support and a food garden that promotes sustainability and food security. In preparation for the handover, a new fibre line was installed to bring the organisation online, with connectivity covered for the next 18 months. Concurrently, refurbishment work including the repainting of the premises was undertaken to create a more welcoming and functional environment for learners.

Today, Kaizer Chiefs players rolled up their sleeves alongside the BeThere4Me team and the children, finishing off the freshly painted walls and planting out the food garden before sharing lunch and time with the young people the organisation serves.

The R100,000 donation is designed to equip BeThere4Me for the long term. It includes three laptops, two office printers, office stationery and cabinets, along with 75 chairs and foldable tables to set up proper working and learning spaces. Gardening tools, seeds and compost go towards the food garden, board games towards the children, and the paint towards refreshing the premises. The organisation also received 80 tickets and bucket hats for the upcoming Toyota Cup, while Kaizer Chiefs and Kappa added school bags, branded lunch boxes, t-shirts and soccer balls for the kids.

"Football has a unique ability to unite people and inspire positive change. Through our partnership with Toyota South Africa Motors, we are turning the loyalty of our supporters into real support for their communities. Seeing what BeThere4Me is building for these young people is exactly the kind of impact Amakhosi wants to be part of,” said Jessica Motaung, Marketing Director at Kaizer Chiefs Football Club.

As excitement builds for the 2026 Toyota Cup at Royal Bafokeng Stadium, the Heart on Sleeve initiative serves as a reminder that the true strength of partnership lies not only in competition but in the ability to create meaningful and lasting change. Through a shared commitment to youth development and community empowerment, Toyota South Africa Motors and Kaizer Chiefs continue to demonstrate that when purpose and passion come together, entire communities benefit.

Toyota and Kaizer Chiefs. One team. One purpose. Building better futures together.

ENDS