(L_R)Head of Department for Cultural Affairs and Sport, Guy Redman, Western Cape Minister of Cultural Affairs and Sport, Ricardo Mackenzie, UWC Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Student Development and Support, Prof Matete Madiba. 
Image: Dillon Hufke /UWC Sport

Sport has the power to do far more than produce winning athletes. It can improve mental health, strengthen communities, create educational opportunities and inspire the next generation of leaders. It is this shared belief that is driving a new partnership between the University of the Western Cape (UWC) and the Western Cape Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport (DCAS).

The two institutions have formalised their commitment through a three-year-long Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) that will expand collaboration in sport development, community engagement, research, coaching, leadership development and athlete support across the Western Cape.

For UWC, the partnership reinforces the University's role as an anchor institution committed to using sport as a catalyst for social development and community impact.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, UWC Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Student Development and Support, Prof Matete Madiba, said that meaningful partnerships are measured not by the documents signed, but by the lives they change.

"This relationship cannot be a hit and run. It cannot be one where we sign a memorandum and then leave it to gather dust. It must become a living partnership that grows over time and creates opportunities for our students, our communities and the province," said Prof Madiba.

She said the agreement builds on a longstanding relationship between the university and the Department, noting that several members of DCAS's executive leadership are UWC graduates.

"Our relationship extends well beyond today's signing. UWC has helped shape many of the leaders serving within the Department, and this agreement builds on that shared history."

Head of Department for Cultural Affairs and Sport, Guy Redman, said the agreement represents far more than a ceremonial signing.

The University of the Western Cape (UWC) Sport Department formalised a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with the Western Cape Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport during a signing ceremony held at the UWC Stadium on Wednesday, 5 August 2026.
Photo: Dillon Hufke /UWC Sport

"We all understand the significance of this moment. “A relationship of this nature cannot be a hit and run. It cannot be one of those agreements that we sign and then allow to gather dust, whether on a shelf or in cyberspace," he said.

Redman said South Africa has signed countless memoranda over the years, but their value lies in what they achieve rather than in the documents themselves.

"This partnership must be ongoing. It must continue to evolve because the reasons for working together are too important for it to become another agreement that sits idle."

He added that the Department's longstanding relationship with UWC already provides a strong foundation for meaningful collaboration, citing UWC’s contribution to developing leaders in the public sector.

Western Cape Minister of Cultural Affairs and Sport Ricardo Mackenzie said the partnership presents an opportunity to use sport to address broader societal challenges affecting young people and communities.

Among the priorities identified was mental health, an issue Mackenzie described as one of the country's most pressing concerns.

"As a country, we are not getting mental health right, particularly among our young people. "This partnership gives us an opportunity to work together not only at the university level but also in schools and communities, where early intervention can make a real difference."