Advtech has announced a three-year partnership with Cricket South Africa (CSA) that will connect education, school sport and youth cricket across the country.
The partnership makes Advtech the official sponsor of the National U13, U16 and U19 Boys and Girls Youth Weeks and Women’s Test Cricket. It will also serve as an associate partner of Men’s Test Cricket.
For students, schools and educators, the agreement creates opportunities to connect sporting participation with education and longer-term development. It also places greater attention on pathways for young cricketers, including girls looking to progress into elite sport.
Advtech Partnership Links Education With Youth Cricket
The partnership is designed to support participation at different stages of the cricket pathway, from youth development to the professional game.
CSA Chief Executive Officer Pholetsi Moseki welcomed the partnership, highlighting its potential to create meaningful social impact by strengthening the connection between cricket, education and youth development. He noted that education has an important role across the cricket pathway, from introducing young boys and girls to the sport through the KFC Mini-Cricket programme and Youth Weeks to supporting players at professional level.
Moseki also emphasised the importance of preparing young cricketers for opportunities beyond their playing careers. The partnership is therefore intended to provide wider support across the cricket system while helping young players develop both on and off the field.
The focus on education is particularly relevant to young athletes. Sporting ability can open doors, but students also need strong academic foundations and skills that support life beyond competitive sport.
Advtech operates across primary, secondary and tertiary education, as well as training and career placement.
National Youth Weeks Create Opportunities For Students
As Education Partner for the National Youth Weeks, Advtech will support young players competing at national level.
In 2025, the U16 and U19 Youth Weeks brought together 850 players from all nine provinces. The competitions included more than 350 matches.
These events provide students with opportunities to compete against players from different regions. They can also help young athletes develop discipline, teamwork, leadership and resilience.
Furthermore, national competitions give schools an important role in identifying and supporting sporting talent.
For educators and school leaders, partnerships such as this can also highlight the value of balancing academic development with structured extracurricular opportunities.
Girls’ Cricket Receives Greater Attention
The partnership also supports the continued development of women’s cricket in South Africa.
Advtech intends to introduce specialised girls’ cricket programmes at selected schools. The aim is to strengthen the pathway from school-level participation towards elite competition.
This is significant as more investment in girls’ sport can help schools provide stronger opportunities for female students.
For parents, access to structured sporting programmes can offer children another way to develop confidence, teamwork and leadership alongside their academic studies.
CSA’s partnership with Advtech also covers the Proteas Women’s inbound Test series, while the education group will support selected youth competitions.
Building A Pathway Beyond The Cricket Field
The partnership is not limited to identifying future professional cricketers.
For students, one of its most important messages is that education remains an essential part of the sporting journey. Young athletes may eventually move into coaching, sports management, education, business or other careers.
CSA has highlighted the need to prepare cricketers for opportunities beyond their playing careers. This makes the connection between schools, sport and education particularly important.
Advtech Chief Executive Officer Geoff Whyte said the partnership covers the full cricket pathway, from grassroots participation to the elite Men’s and Women’s teams. He described the agreement as an investment in one of South Africa’s most inclusive sporting codes, while also noting its potential benefits for Advtech’s education brands.
What The Partnership Could Mean For Schools
The agreement gives schools an opportunity to consider how sporting programmes can contribute to wider student development.
For school leaders, stronger links between education providers and national sporting organisations could support talent identification and structured participation.
Meanwhile, educators can use sport to reinforce skills that also matter in the classroom, including collaboration, communication, commitment and responsible decision-making.
For students, the partnership could provide greater visibility of pathways that combine education and sport.
Ultimately, the value of the agreement will depend on how effectively these opportunities reach young people across different communities and schools. Its focus on youth competitions, girls’ cricket and education creates a framework for supporting students both on and beyond the cricket field.
