Cape Flats community Philippi gets Belgian golden ticket for soccer pitch revamp

The unveiling of a new soccer pitch in the Cape Flats community of Philippi last weekend happened to coincide with a planned state visit from the King and Queen of Belgium, their first to South Africa.

The revamp in Philippi is primarily thanks to the Belgian Chamber of Commerce and the Belgian Consul General in Cape Town, who heard that the original playing field had been neglected for years.

Now, with the support of the Belgian business community in South Africa, it has been revitalised and will form part of the Philippi Village hub.

"When we learned about the situation, we decided we needed to do something," said consul general Mathias Bogaert.

The soccer pitch revamp is a significant addition to a crime-ridden community that has 32 football clubs associated with the South African Football Association (SAFA). However, only a few functioning football fields have been available until now.

The consulate and chamber have not only provided soccer kits and equipment, but also financed the rehabilitation of the pitch.

This is not the first time the consulate and chamber have worked with Philippi Village. They have previously assisted in various projects, such as vocational training, street art, digital inclusion and Covid-19 prevention.

Ntsikelelo Qinga, community liaison at Philippi Village, is excited about providing the community with this sports facility.

He said:

Philippi Village is an integrated, mixed-use development hub in the Cape Flats that houses entrepreneurs and small business owners, with office, retail and event space, and facilities for educational, sporting and cultural activities.

Qinga hopes that the soccer field will serve as a safe space for children in the Philippi community to play and enjoy the benefits of