Amid the ongoing disputes of the 2025 Soweto Marathon, title sponsors African Bank have made their stance clear, stating that their priority will always be the runners and not the Soweto Marathon Trust (SMT).
African Bank Chief Marketing Officer Sbusiso Khumalo was speaking to the media during the launch of the 30th Edition of the iconic “People’s Race” at the Soweto Theatre on Wednesday afternoon.
“This is a race about the people, but it’s also a race about the economy of Soweto, which is so important … the township economy,” Khumalo said.
Sentimental attachment
“We want money coming from outside of Soweto into Soweto. Not out of Soweto. And that’s what over 30,000 people who decide to run the race do for Soweto. African Bank was founded because of economic challenges. And it was found right here in Soweto 50 years ago.
“So, the question remains, why did we decide to sponsor? Should the Soweto Marathon change its name to the African Bank Soweto Marathon? We are not sponsoring the trust, but the people who run it,” Khumalo emphasised.
In recent years and weeks, building up to the race, the Soweto Marathon has been marred with drama. There was also legal battles and uncertainty over who will host the famous marathon. Also whether the race will take place this year.
There have been disputes between three entities. These are the Soweto Marathon (Pty) Ltd, the recently formed Soweto Marathon Clubs, the non-profit company (NPC), and the Soweto Marathon Trust (SMT).
Threats from other factions
SMT has since threatened to block the race from taking place, saying it will happen “over our dead bodies”.
However, Khumalo said that as African Bank, they will not back down. And he reiterated that the runners are the main important people.
“I am so proud of the team that put this race together because it is not easy to organise a race. It’s a lot of hard work.
“As a banker, as a corporate, one would probably say that ‘I don’t need all of this’ and just walk away. As other banks, maybe, but not as African Bank, because we are African Bank.
“We don’t run away from problems. We stay and we find a resolution. Because the people are more important than any one of us. So, with that, I really want to thank the organisers, the City of Johannesburg, and the stakeholders,” He added.
Date adjustment
Meanwhile, the Soweto Marathon race director, Danny Blumberg, gave clarity on the new date for the race. He confirmed the adjustment of the date from November 30 to November 29 on a Saturday. He said this was due to a national prayer day, which is set to be held at the FNB Stadium on Sunday.
