In November 2025, Corinthians Africa was named Human Rights Project of the Year at the 2025 Black Sash Human Rights Awards. A year later, we want to say thank you again, and explain what that recognition means for the work we do every day in La Rochelle and across Johannesburg South.
Rights are necessities, not luxuries
On Human Rights Day in 2023, we wrote that rights are necessities, not privileges or luxuries, and that every human being deserves respect, dignity and equal treatment, regardless of their differences. That idea sits at the centre of everything we do.
Corinthians Africa began in 2012 as street football in South Hills. Our founder, Mlungisi "Coach Jack" Msibi, saw young people with talent and energy, and very few safe places to use it. Today we reach more than 3,000 people a month in La Rochelle, Townsview, Rosettenville and the Springbok Park informal settlement. Our tagline is "Restoring Dignity, Purpose & Opportunity", and each of those three words is a human-rights promise.
The right to play, whatever your ability
For too long, visually impaired South Africans were left on the sidelines of the country's favourite sport. When two visually impaired children asked Coach Jack if they could play football, the answer was yes.
That yes became South Africa's first Blind Football League, built with Blind SA. It now has seven teams and more than 90 players. In 2026, together with CATHSSETA, we hosted South Africa's first accredited blind football coaching workshop, with a Braille edition of the coaching manual and the country's first blind facilitator, Jonas Ndlovu.
Inclusion is not a side project for us. In our GBVF prevention programme, 40% of participants live with disabilities.
The right to safety
Gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) robs people of their dignity and their safety. Since June 2024, our GBVF prevention programme has used our Ubabalo whole-life coaching approach to work with people across sport, STEAM and community spaces on preventing violence and getting help safely.
So far, the programme has reached 1,609 people:
613 through sport
252 through our STEAM programme
744 through GBVF awareness campaigns
We run awareness campaigns, school talks and community dialogues, offer a safe space with counselling and referral, and give practical relief such as sanitary and food assistance where it is needed. In October 2026, our blind football players stood with the Johannesburg Blind Football Association against GBVF, and as the 16 Days of Activism begin on 25 November, that message matters more than ever.
Our netball programme for girls is part of the same commitment. It gives girls a team, mentors and a safe space, and works to prevent teenage pregnancies.
The right to learn and to work
Education and work are rights too, and they are the road out of poverty. At the Eita STEAM Centre, 43 children get after-school support with homework, literacy, robotics and VR-based learning.
Some of the young people who learnt in that classroom now run C-Tech, our youth drone and community safety programme. C-Tech uses drones and 3D mapping for community safety, including community searches for missing children in Glenesk, and runs a free community safety app that is now in testing. Its goal is to create paid work for young drone operators from townships, so that the jobs of the future are not reserved for the suburbs.
Our community gardens and greenhouse add another right to the list: the right to food. They give people practical agricultural skills and fresh produce, and strengthen food security in the community.
In good company
The Black Sash award was one of several that recognised Corinthians Africa's work in 2025 and 2026:
2025 Black Sash Human Rights Project of the Year
2025 News24 Young Mandela Award, Social Justice category, for our founder
2025 Nedbank CSI Project of the Year
2025 Nedbank Donations Partner of the Year
2025 House Mazibuko Community Project of the Year
2025 F.R.E.E Young Leader of the Year (Sports, Arts and Environment)
2026 Nedbank Oliver Top Empowerment Awards, SED of the Year, with our partner BASF
2026 JCI South Africa Ten Outstanding Young Persons honoree, for our founder
Awards don't change lives on their own. People do: our coaches, volunteers, players, parents, partners and funders. This recognition belongs to all of them.
Stand with us
Human rights are protected by people who show up. You can stand with us by:
funding a programme, from blind football to GBVF prevention
volunteering your time or skills
partnering with us as a company through CSI or socio-economic development (SED) spend
Corinthians Africa NPC is a registered non-profit (NPO 264-289 NPO) and Public Benefit Organisation (PBO 930073111) with Section 18A status, so donations used for our approved activities qualify for a Section 18A tax receipt.
WhatsApp us on +27 61 230 1352, email info@corinthians.africa or visit our Donate / Fund us page.
Media enquiries: Makhosi Mlangeni, 068 274 3159.