Marco Botha
CEO
Marco is a co-founder and CEO of the Open Play Foundation. He has degrees in Sport Science (2007) and Journalism (2008) from Stellenbosch University and a Master's Degree in Management from Harvard University (2023), electing to focus on non-profit leadership and management. He spent eight years at Media24 as a sports writer, editor and publisher. He did consulting projects for Remgro and MyPlayers (South African Rugby Players’ Organisation) before joining MyPlayers as Communications Manager (2020 to 2022). He has written five books: Coach: How South African Sports Leaders Cultivate Excellence (2014), The Barefoot Coach by Paddy Upton (ghostwriter, 2019), 7: My Notes on Leadership & Life by Heyneke Meyer (ghostwriter, 2020), Die Spore van Gert Saggiestrap (novel, 2021), and FAF: Through Fire by Faf du Plessis (ghostwriter, 2022). Marco is married to Maritza, and they have two sons, Stephan and Christiaan.
Our Staff
Thulani Mapoyi
Kayamandi Programmes Coordinator
Thulani is a Kayamandi resident who is passionate about developing his community. He transitioned naturally from a community volunteer to becoming a champion of the Stellenbosch Academy of Sport’s outreach wellness programme. He is the SFC Youth Academy’s under-16 head coach and serves as a founding director of Inkuthazo Yesizwe, a community organisation that works among the youth of Kayamandi. He was also instrumental in identifying Kayamandi Primary as the beneficiary of the Open Play Foundation’s GreenSource project.
José Cabral
SFC Community Wellness Coordinator
José is a Brazilian-born physical educator, sport science lecturer, and football and Futsal head coach. He played professional Futsal for Brazil and the Minas Gerais province from 1982 to 1988 before qualifying as a Level 3 Football and Futsal coach. His family relocated to South Africa in 2007. He has been involved in various educational, coaching, community, and coordinating capacities at the universities of the Western Cape and Stellenbosch. José was the Head of Youth and Wellness at SFC from 2018 to 2022, served as the Stellenbosch Academy of Sport’s Sport and Recreation Coordinator since 2016, and is the Community Wellness Coordinator for the Stellenbosch Football Club. He has an undergraduate degree in physical education and a Master’s degree in sports administration.
Operational & Management services
Secretarial: Hesta von Zeuner (Remgro Management Services)
Financial: Zain Arnolds (Remgro Management Services)
Legal: ENS Africa
Community-development consultant: Daniel Thomae (training4changeS)