WeeklySA_AdminPURPOSE: Featuring 40 real-life stories from across Africa, Purpose, Perseverance, Passion aims to help young people turn their love of sport into careers in media, business, technology, tourism and other fields…
By Len Maseko
For many young South Africans, the dream of working in sport begins — and often ends — with becoming a professional athlete. But a new book is challenging that narrow perception by showcasing the multitude of careers available beyond the playing field.
Champs for Change (C4C), a South African youth-development organisation working across Africa, launched the paperback edition of Purpose, Perseverance, Passion – Champs for Change and We Will Lead Africa: A Sports Volume at Exclusive Books in the Mall of Africa, Johannesburg, on Thursday.
Launched by C4C co-founder Dr Memuna Williams, the book brings together 40 real-life stories from athletes, journalists and professionals working throughout the sports industry.
Their experiences illustrate how a passion for sport can lead to careers in journalism, technology, marketing, entrepreneurship, event management, tourism, hospitality and business, as well as opportunities to make a broader social impact.
For C4C, the publication is intended to do more than celebrate people who have succeeded in sport. It seeks to give young people hope, practical examples and a clearer understanding of the opportunities available in an industry whose economic potential is often overlooked.
“Too often, when young people think about a career in sport, they think only about becoming an athlete,” Williams said.
“Sport is an entire industry. There are opportunities in media, technology, business, entrepreneurship, operations, tourism, hospitality and many other areas.
“We want young people to know these opportunities exist and, importantly, to help them understand how they can access them.”
The stories span the continent, moving from basketball courts in Senegal and sports start-ups in Nigeria to media rooms in South Africa. Collectively, they demonstrate how sport can nurture leadership, encourage innovation and create economic opportunities.
The book’s message is particularly significant in South Africa, where millions of young people face persistent unemployment and limited access to meaningful economic opportunities.
C4C believes the sports industry should be viewed as a career ecosystem requiring people with a wide range of qualifications, abilities and interests — not merely athletes and coaches.
“The sports industry needs people with many different skills and talents,” Williams said.
“Our young people should be able to see themselves not only as athletes or fans, but as future journalists, entrepreneurs, marketers, technologists, event professionals, business leaders and innovators within sport.”
The Johannesburg launch brought together representatives from the sporting, business, media, leadership and youth-development sectors for a wider discussion about what South Africa must do to create accessible career pathways for young people.
Williams said talent and enthusiasm alone were insufficient. Young people also needed reliable information, appropriate skills, experienced mentors and access to professional networks if they were to convert their passion into sustainable livelihoods.
“We believe sport can change lives — and change the world,” she said. “But young people need access, information, mentors and networks to turn that belief into opportunity.”
That approach lies at the centre of Champs for Change’s work. Through mentoring, training, skills development and exposure to industry networks, the organisation helps young Africans identify and pursue opportunities both on and off the field.
Its long-term ambition is to cultivate a new generation of African sports leaders capable of promoting innovation, inclusion and excellence across the continent.
By placing relatable African experiences at the centre of the conversation, Purpose, Perseverance, Passion seeks to show young readers that their love of sport can become more than a pastime — it can provide a route into employment, entrepreneurship, leadership and social change.
