Publications
Partners
IT mogul and philanthropist Robert Gumede has been appointed to serve in world football governing body Fifa's Foundation advisory board.
Gumede, a former professional football and rugby team's boss, told City Press on Friday that he was looking forward to his new role with Fifa as it resonated with two of his passions – football and philanthropy. His business empire includes the largest 100% black-owned IT company in Africa - Gijima, the largest integrated tourism and leisure company in Africa - Tourvest, and various businesses in the rest of Africa that include mining.
Gumede is the second African appointed to the board. The other one is Sudanese telecommunications mogul and philanthropist Mo Ibrahim, who also founded and chairs the Mo Ibrahim Foundation.
READ: Lawyer and 'fronting' by a BEE partner are blamed for collapsing two land reform projects
Other members of the Fifa Foundation advisory board include former Columbian president, author and legal eagle Iván Duque Márquez, Inter Miami FC managing owner Jorge Mas, pharmaceutical multi-national company Zambon chairperson Elena Zambon, Serbian media mogul Dragan Šolak and Margarita Louis-Dreyfus, who is the chairperson of the Louis Dreyfus Holding advisory board.
The Fifa Foundation was established in 2018. It tackles social issues affecting young people and empowers women and girls to play football and realise their full potential. The foundation also repairs damaged sports infrastructure, supports education through football and mobilises football icons to reach out to millions of people with positive messages.
Gumede said that the appointment came to the right person as football was in his DNA. He added:
Gumede owned Dangerous Darkies FC in Mbombela, which he took from the fifth division to the elite Premier Soccer League. Dangerous Darkies produced Bafana Bafana stars, including David Nyathi, who plied his craft in Switzerland, Spain and Italy and was also selected to the Fifa World XI twice alongside mega-stars such as Zinedine Zidane, David Beckham, and Brazilian superstars Ronaldinho and Ronaldo.
READ: Can Croatia’s fairy tale continue?
The Bafana Bafana 2010 World Cup squad had two players partly developed by Dangerous Darkies - Reneilwe Letsholonyane and Siyabonga Nkosi. Gumede also bought and owned Witbank Black Aces at some point.
He also ventured into premium rugby when he broke the race barrier by buying 49% of the then-Afrikander-owned and led major South African rugby club, the Lions. Gumede bought and brought back overseas-based Springbok rugby players and turned the Lions into a major rugby club.
“When I informed CAF president Patrice Motsepe of my appointment, he was very happy that Fifa appointed two African entrepreneurs and philanthropists in me and Mo Ibrahim. We will work with him and CAF leadership to bring the change in Africa fuelled by the Fifa Foundation,” Gumede promised.
READ: Sgwili Gumede | Catalyst for new football chapter?
“The other love of my life is philanthropy, which the Fifa Foundation will also be focusing on to improve the lives of those communities and individuals in great need. I am ready to serve the rest of Africa and the world as we execute our Fifa mandate of changing the world,” he said.
