A Township for Tomorrow by TurfTech

F O R T O M O R R O W A Township

Completed: March 2020 Location: Khayelitsha, Western Cape Cost: R4.5 million Size: 7,056m 2 Made possible by: Gary Kirsten Foundation and HomeChoice

The Gary Kirsten Foundation (GKF) recently opened a R4.5 million artificial turf in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, which will be part of a Centre of Cricket Excellence at Chris Hani Secondary School. Turftech were the appointed Sports Contractorwho installed a Rhino-Turf synthetic cricket pitch at Chris Hani Secondary School in a bid to create a wonderful future for the community.

“Five years ago I visited Khayelitsha on a factfinding mission and I was shocked not to find one sports field in the township. It became my mission to establish first class facilities that would give kids an equal chance at the game of cricket,” said Gary Kirsten.

“In two years, I look forward to Chris Hani’s U19 team playing against a privileged school on this world-class field, then we have created equal opportunities,” said Kirsten.

In partnership with the then-headmaster of Chris Hani Secondary School, Madoda Mahlutshana, the first nets were built in Khayelitsha. Five years on, under the auspices of the Gary Kirsten Foundation, 400 children play cricket regularly at five school locations under the guidance of eight employed GKF coaches, where outdoor nets have been installed. A strong women’s team is also emerging and some girls have reached provincial representation.

Kirsten said the funds have been raised for the complete Centre of Cricket Excellence, and construction will start on the indoor centre shortly. “This will allow the Gary Kirsten Foundation to create a world-class hub for township cricket in the region and serve the surrounding community, there will be three indoor lanes, an office and communal spaces,” he added.

The artificial cricket oval – which has been made possible by the generosity of sponsors HomeChoice – is the first of its kind in the country and is ready to host local matches, events and tournaments.

“Many cricketers from Khayelitsha and other townships have been identified and given scholarships and bursaries to attend privileged schools, but they are displaced from their communities.

I have a vision for local cricketers to remain in their communities, and excel at the game with support and expertise,” added Kirsten. “This was such a rewarding installation that will truly benefit South Africa’s most deserving youngsters,” said Phillip Prinsloo, sales manager for Turftech. “Every child deserves the opportunity to develop and grow through sports, with the advantage of playing on a world-class surface. The Gary Kirsten Foundation and HomeChoice have ensured the children of Khayelitsha are given this opportunity."

The installation, provides the youth with a full-size, synthetic cricket oval which will form part of the Centre of Cricket Excellence programme at Chris Hani Secondary School. The pitch allows for simultaneous practice sessions and multiple matches of mini-cricket if needed.

Gary Kirsten said it was a 'no brainer’ to go with Turftech’s synthetic pitch when it was decided that the project would go ahead: “This was an expensive build but the scale of cost over 10 years sees the overall cost drop dramatically when compared to a grass field. These days synthetic turf is so advanced. It’s a beautiful outfield – not too quick – and it’s also not a cement pitch. It’s gravel-based so there’s not too much bounce. It’s as replicative of a grass surface as possible.

He described Turftech as "the best in the business in South Africa" and said the decision to go with them was based on their extensive project experience. “Their passion and energy for the project was very evident from the start.”

The superior playing surface and enhanced aesthetics of the Turftech installation are accompanied by long-term cost savings, as mentioned by Kirsten. With no need for resurfacing or watering needed, schools are saving on maintenance, while also benefitting from property value-enhancement associated with the surface.

Although the project was activated by the GKF, this is a community project and will be run as such. Alongside Chris Hani Secondary School, four other schools in the area will benefit from use of the turf. These schools are all participating in the GKF project, funded by the National Department of Sports and Recreation.

The overall size of the project was 84 x 84m and totalled 7,056m 2 . The building of the pitch took place over three months, from start to finish. After this, it only takes one staff member to maintain the site. Turftech used the RhinoTurf VT25 product for the Outfield, which can accommodate cricket, recreational hockey and soccer. They also used their MT10 product for the synthetic cricket wicket.

Before implementation, the site needed to be cleared of debris as well as the topsoil layer. The Turftech team faced a lot of rain, delays and also a somewhat hostile attitude from the local community due to the location of the site, so it was difficult to get them to support the project.

Interestingly, no irrigation or shockpads were used for the site, as the team wanted to keep it as low maintenance as possible and not leave room for vandalisation or theft.

Photograph by Simon Parker