Kaizer Chiefs’ duo of Itumeleng Khune and Zitha Kwinika and Orlando Pirates captain Innocent Maela are among PSL stars who officially graduated from a business school on Monday.
A group of players, including Khune, Kwinika and Maela, were handed their certificates after completing the 2022 PSL Player Transition Programme at the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) in Johannesburg.
Some of the top stars who also graduated from GIBS are Linda Mntambo, Sibusiso Vilakazi, Vincent Pule and Kennedy Mweene.
The course was designed by the PSL in partnership with MultiChoice and GIBS to empower and equip DStv Premiership and Motsepe Foundation Championship players with the necessary knowledge and skills in order to retire in a better position to find careers off the field.
GIBS, with PSL and Multichoice, introduced the Player Transition Programme in January with a focus on players between the ages of 28 and 35. The programme ran from January 2022 until June 2022, the programme.
PSL STATEMENT
In a statement, PSL said: “The programme will prepare these players for the reality of retirement from playing professional sport, empowering them to make a meaningful impact in the world and to leave a legacy.”
More often than not, South African footballers retire poor after their heydays. The likes of Mbulelo Mabizela, Lerato Chabangu, Benedict Vilakazi and Thembinkosi “Terror” Fanteni fell on hard times after hanging their boots.
But the PSL has selected GIBS as their educational partner to address the plight.
“Class of 2022. Congratulations to the 2022 PSL Player Transition Programme graduates who were honoured earlier today at the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) in Johannesburg,” reads the PSL statement.
“The course was introduced earlier this year by PSL and MultiChoiceGRP and was specifically designed by GIBS to equip and empower PSL players with the necessary knowledge and skills to find careers off the field after they retire.”
GIBS are “responsible for creating and updating an online educational platform, tutoring, and developing the framework for the onboarding and training of participants.”
According to the PSL, the programme by GIBS involved “a learning environment that considered the demands of the training and competition programme of the players.
It also consisted of four core modules that all participants completed over the duration of the programme.
“These are business fundamentals, information technology, financial management and leadership.
“The players also chose two electives in each of the two additional training blocks offered as part of the programme.
“These included Coach Education, Project Management, Facility Management, Business Innovation, Media Officers, Social Entrepreneurship, Merchandise Management and Event Management.
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