The Vumbuka Trust will be sponsoring Mkhondo Local Football Association through The Vumbuka Trust Cup for the 10th time this season. In addition the trust itself is celebrating 10 years of existence as a shareholding partner at TWK. To celebrate this milestone The Vumbuka Trust increased its sponsorship to a whooping R180 000 for the multi division football tournament. The sponsorship value has increased with almost 1500% when compared to the 1st edition sponsorship value 10 years ago. The first ever edition was sponsored with R12000, and it had a single division i.e. Promotion League, the tournament now carries six (6) divisions.
The 2023 tournament began on on Saturday 28 October 2023 with the under 13 development league divisions consisting of fourteen (14) teams. The Under 15 (14 teams), and the Under 17 divisions (18 teams) will kick off on 04 November 2023. There will also be seven (7) teams in the Under 15 girls division also playing on Saturday. The girls will play in a round-robin format and then play knockout in the semi-final stage. The senior ladies division teams have been drawn from the Mkhondo Ladies League 2023/24 which began in September 2023 with seven teams. They will kick of their round robin of two groups on Saturday 11 November 2023.
The men’s division teams have been drawn from the Mkhondo Promotion League 2023/24 season. A total of 66 teams are expected to be part of the 2023 edition. The participating clubs come from different areas of the Mkhondo Local Municipality that are playing league football under the Mkhondo Local Football Association. The clubs are affiliated with the Mkhondo LFA through seven (7) Sub LFAs i.e. Ngema-Dirkiesdorp Sub LFA, Simakade Sub LFA, Saul Mkhizeville (Old Stand) Sub LFA, Sinethemba Driefontein Sub LFA, Sulphur Springs Sub LFA, Thandukukhanya Sub LFA, and the newly launched UHlelo Sub LFA. It is not clear if the Amsterdam & Commondale Sub LFAs will take part at this year’s tournament as they are yet to pay the required affiliation fee to the association. Each Sub LFA will have to produce a champion team to represent it at the main finals.
The tournament will wrap up with an all-day football finals extravaganza starting with the Under 13 division and closing with the senior’s final at 3pm on Sunday 19 November 2023 at Mandla Magudulela Stadium, Thandukukhanya. Prizes for the tournament include cash, playing kits, match balls and training equipment for all runners up in all divisions. To date The Vumbuka Trust has distributed more than forty (40) playing jerseys to different champions over the years. The success of the tournament has resulted in the increase of league participation by clubs based in the Mkhondo Local Municipality jurisdiction. UHlelo Sub LFA has joined the Mkhondo LFA by affiliating to the association and will be part of the 2023 tournament. The Sub LFA is based at Ward 4,6& 8 in the Mkhondo Local Municipality.