Kumba Iron Ore : continues partnership with Northern Cape government

Kumba Iron Ore is the second largest employer in the Northern Cape. The company will invest R33-million over the next three years in the provincial skateboarding programme as part of its ongoing community development programme, which in 2013 alone saw R254 million invested in education, health, poverty alleviation and improving much-needed infrastructure in the areas where it operates.

According to Kumba Chief Executive Norman Mbazima, the company is proud to continue its support of the Northern Cape Province. "The Northern Cape has identified the sport of skateboarding as an appropriate vehicle to promote the province as the ultimate adventure and extreme sport destination, while simultaneously also making a significant contribution to youth development. As a company, we firmly believe in providing opportunity and upliftment in the communities that are associated with our operations and we've had the privilege of observing the positive impact this programme has had on local communities. The Kimberley Diamond Cup has focused global media attention on the Northern Cape as a destination, while the Skateboarding for Hope community outreach initiative has touched the lives of thousands of South African youth across the country carrying a message of hope and encouragement," mentions Mbazima.

The Kimberley Diamond Cup skateboarding world championship presented by Kumba Iron Ore will take place in the capital city of Kimberley from 2 - 5 October at the Kumba Skate Plaza. The world's top professional and amateur street and vert skateboarders will converge on the Diamond City for the event.

Northern Cape Premier Sylvia Lucas has applauded Kumba's continued strategic alliance with the provincial government. "The successful positioning of the province as the adventure capital of Africa, while also creating meaningful engagement with our youth could not be achieved without a productive public-private partnership such as our relationship with Kumba. The Kimberley Diamond Cup has been instrumental in creating a global awareness of Kimberley and the Northern Cape as a tourism destination, while also attracting huge numbers of visitors in terms of competitors and supporters. Hosting the event has delivered a significant financial injection into the local economy as well as contributing to job creation and skills development. I am also confident that KDC can claim credit for seeing international arrivals to the Northern Cape from the United States peaking at 3,5% of the national figure in 2013 according to SA Tourism statistics," explains Lucas.  

The Skateboarding for Hope outreach programme has played a crucial part in the province's commitment to youth development by exposing them to an affordable leisure activity and a sense of community. In addition to the skate plaza in Kimberley, which has received over 26 000 visitors over the past two years, four additional skate parks have been erected in the various district municipalities of the Northern Cape. The Skateboarding for Hope tour has stopped in diverse venues ranging from urban hubs to deep rural villages with over 5000 skateboards being handed over to under-privileged kids.

According to Tim McFerran of skateboarding event management company World Skateboarding Grand Prix, the impact of the Kimberley Diamond Cup and its Skateboarding for Hope initiative has been unprecedented. "Since our first exploration of the local skateboarding scene, we have been overwhelmed by the immense growth in the South African skateboarding industry, both in terms of retail opportunities and the proficiency level of local skaters. The fact that the Northern Cape government and their corporate partner Kumba Iron Ore could both see the merit in using skateboarding as a platform for social change is absolutely admirable. These two entities have shared a vision that I believe will leave a lasting social legacy not only in the Northern Cape, but it the whole country. We've seen first-hand testimony of how skateboarding has transformed kids' lives and given meaning, purpose and self-fulfilment to youngsters that would never had experienced it before skateboarding touched their lives," says McFerran.