How a forgotten precinct became a Joburg beacon

Louis Botha Avenue runs north out of Johannesburg’s inner city, carrying a constant flow of taxis, buses and private cars through suburbs that have changed faster than the infrastructure meant to support them.

Once marked out as part of the City’s planned “Corridor of Freedom”, the road now tells a story synonymous with the city and its infrastructure: broken pavements, non-functioning street lights, incomplete roadworks and bus lanes that start and stop without warning give the impression of a project that never quite reached completion.

The road remains busy, but much of what was promised around it never fully arrived or has fallen into further neglect and disrepair. 

In this setting, it would be easy to miss Puntans Hill Sports Club as you drive down Louis Botha Avenue between Orange Grove and Highlands North.

For years, it reflected the neglect around it as the facility became almost forgotten. The pitch was overgrown and unusable, nets rusted or collapsed, and the clubhouse stood abandoned.

But in 2017, Sean Naidoo convinced the City of Johannesburg to hand him control of the sports facility that was called Hilson Park sports precinct at the time.

A name change to Puntans Hill Sports Club - a nod to where he originally came from in Durban and where he spent his formative years learning about community and cricket - and a commitment to not only reviving the old sports facility but creating a sustainable and thriving community hub has seen Puntans Hill Sports Club reach new heights. 

“My personal strife in this is just by virtue of my upbringing. I was very deeply based in community service growing up in Puntans Hill,” said Naidoo.

It is for this reason that Naidoo established Puntans Hill Sports Club as a non-profit organisation, showing that the work he and his co-founder and the director of the club’s Betterman Program, Keratile Pekane, goes far beyond just cricket - of which they have had many successes in the near decade of the club’s existence. 

The Betterman Program focuses on education, employment and long-term stability for young people from challenging backgrounds, using the club as a point of access rather than an end in itself.

Alongside cricket, the programme supports participants in developing practical life plans and career pathways, with an emphasis on skills that extend beyond the cricket field.

Speaking about why she got involved with Puntans Hill Sports Club and the Betterman Program, Pekane said it was important that people held onto the dream of what South Africa was meant to be despite all the current problems.

“It’s important that we work together and fix what’s happening. Sitting back and waiting for the government will not work. We are social entrepreneurs, so yes we make money, but it’s even more important for us to make sure that we’re changing and fixing our community,” she said.

For Puntans Hill Sports Club and the Betterman Programme, the work includes literacy support for younger children through the Puntans Reading Room, as well as education and skills development for older youth.

Through these initiatives, Naidoo and Pekane have ensured that a number of young people have secured bursaries for further study, while others have completed professional regulatory exams with ongoing mentorship and academic support.

Since the programme’s launch, they have helped place more than 70 young people into employment, many through partnerships with private sector companies. The club also runs small-scale farming projects and a community food kitchen aimed at easing food insecurity among families in the area.

These programmes operate alongside the club’s sporting calendar, reinforcing the idea that social development and athletic participation are part of the same ecosystem. Since starting with a single team in 2017, Puntans Hill has expanded to four teams competing in Saturday leagues and has won 13 trophies in that time.

The women’s side completed a league and T20 double in 2023, followed by the men’s team achieving the same feat in 2024. The club has also hosted women’s-only tournaments and community cricket events aimed at widening participation.

Naidoo said that following announcements last year by the City of Johannesburg about plans to sell or lease public sports facilities and green spaces to private developers, they were initially concerned about the future of Puntans Hill Sport Club.

“But I was less concerned because we have a property that was largely abandoned and ignored by the City and if they were to take notice of it now, it will just be them noticing the work we are doing,” he said, adding that he believed that the City would respect the lease they have with the club.

Local ward councillor Belinda Kayser Echeozonjoku praised the work of the club. “Before its revival, the park next to the club was occupied by drug addicts and was at serious risk of illegal invasion.

“Today, residents can use the facility without fear. Children can safely play sport, and Sean has ensured that children who would not normally have access to extra-mural activities are able to participate. Parents now feel comfortable knowing the space is secure and well managed,” she said. - Jan Bornman

This story is produced by Our City News, a non-profit newsroom that serves the people of Johannesburg.