Ikhamva Athletics Club founder Michael Mbambani has poured his heart into supporting and nurturing emerging athletic talent across Nelson Mandela Bay.
Mbambani, who in 2024 was named Athletics SA Coach of the Year and served as the head coach of the SA marathon team at the Paris Olympic Games, started Ikhamva AC in 2010 in the dusty streets of Motherwell.
Now, 16 years later, the club has produced internationally recognised athletes such as Melikhaya Frans.
The club has also birthed young and upcoming talents such as Lithobe Menzeleleli and Sinawo Poti, who have been dominant in local road races.
On Monday, the coach officially opened the new offices of Sonke 10 Tradings, which specialises in event planning, management and sponsorship consultancy, at Baywest Mall, entrance four.
The new offices will also house Ikhamva Athletics Club.
“The sustainability of this initiative will help Ikhamva grow,” Mbambani said.
“The money we make from the business and from organising events will help us develop athletes, while also nurturing the young boys at Ikhamva camp.
“The company has been around for a few years now.
“We deal with sponsorship consultancy.
“We have a lot of sponsors under it, such as CHC-SA, Nike, 32Gi, Powerade, and other mega-good sponsors and potential sponsors, which we will announce shortly.
“Sonke 10 is a Pty company owned by the Mbambani Family Trust; even if I am not present, the trustees will continue working to ensure that those in need of educational assistance receive it.
“Ikhamva benefits from the family trust in a variety of ways, including education, sports, and a source of income, which is why we are here.
“I started Ikhamva at the end of 2010, and the club was officially registered in January of the following year.”
He said at the time he had collaborated with the Mr Price national team to develop runners, but there was no independence because authority was centralised at the headquarters.
As a result, he struggled to achieve the level of development he desired for the city.
“So I decided to go solo and start my own business without sponsors, and here we are 16 years later.
“Ikhamva is now a well-oiled brand; it is financially sponsored by CHC-SA, Nike sponsors the apparel, 32Gi sponsors nutrition, and Coca-Cola sponsors refreshments.
“Sonke 10 is also investing because Melikhaya Frans and other runners’ payrolls fall under Ikhamva.
“They are Ikhamva employees, so we won’t have to compete with clubs from other provinces for them.
“We also assist with tuition, uniforms and stationery.
“Our efforts have resulted in graduates and will continue in the future.
“We have 73 runners under Ikhamva, 15 elite competition athletes [including juniors], and top category champions.
“We recently rekindled Lusapho April’s interest in athletics; it took me a year-and-a-half to persuade him that he still had something to offer, but we got him back, and we saw him run last week.”
Mbambani, who also serves as EP Athletics’ sponsorship liaison, said his favourite aspect of the club’s 16-year history had been watching it grow in terms of quality and competitive runners.
He said maintaining that at the highest levels should be exhausting, but he was fortunate to have an excellent team working behind the scenes to help keep the team strong and afloat.
Another big flex was Frans’s disciplined face in athletics.
“Frans is one of the most disciplined creatures that anyone has ever encountered.
“You can’t go wrong with such athletes.
“He’s a reflection of Ikhamva, which is exactly what Ikhamva is.
“Now, we are looking for a brighter future in athletics, not just for Ikhamva, but for people to invest in EPA as well, because those are the people for whom we work.
“We want to ensure that more partners join those who have already partnered with EPA.”
- Follow The Herald WhatsApp channel today and stay connected to the stories shaping our world.
The Herald
