The Clinix Health Group has partnered with renowned former and current football players as well as an Olympic Silver Medallist in their campaign that seeks to educate and raise awareness about prevalent substance use disorders and addiction. The campaign was launched at a media event held on Wednesday, 19 June 2024 at the Solomon ‘Stix’ Morewa Memorial Hospital, located in the South of Johannesburg.
Formed in 1992 by one of the country’s pioneers in the medical field, Dr. Khamane ‘KOP’ Matseke, Clinix Health Group is South Africa’s first black-owned private hospital group, and this year marks 30-years since the official opening of the group’s first private hospital in Vosloorus, East of Johannesburg (Clinix Botshelong-Empilweni) in 1994.
In their continued efforts to educate, inform and uplift the various communities within which they operate and serve, Clinix is collaborating with three of the country’s well-known and influential current and former sport stars, who some have relatable lived experiences of years of struggling with substance use disorders and addiction at the prime of their careers. The following sport stars were unveiled as the campaign ambassadors who will work closely with the Clinix Health Group in driving the overarching messaging of fostering empathy and destigmatising addiction and substance use disorders within communities:
- Banyana Banyana Legend – Portia Modise
Modise is well remembered for her highest achievement of becoming the first African player to score 100 goals in international football back in 2014. Modise hails from Soweto, south of Johannesburg, where she recalls growing up in Jabavu and seeing her peers fall through the cracks, which led most to using drugs as a form of escapism. Modise established a Foundation which aims to uplift communities by empowering women through life skills and leadership workshops through education, health, social integration and participation in sports.
- Former Kaizer Chiefs and current TS Galaxy Star Player – Bernard Parker
Parker is a former Bafana Bafana and Kaizer Chiefs attacking midfielder who now plays for PSL outfit, TS Galaxy. Known on and off the field of play for his discipline, Parker is juggling a busy football schedule and school. In 2020, he completed his studies and obtained his qualification in Sport Management.
- Long Jump Olympic Silver Medallist, Luvo Manyonga
Manyonga is a 33-year-old athlete that has struggled with addition for over a decade. He was first suspended in 2012 for 18 months when crystal meth was detected in his urine. After fully serving his suspension, he continued using drugs and was involved in criminal activities. His life took a turn for the better when he moved to Pretoria in 2015, where he showed his dedication and commitment by training hard, thus earning him a spot in the South African Olympics team that participated in the 2016 Rio Olympics. Manyonga bagged a silver medal at the tournament. However, after all the accolades and multi-million rand lucrative endorsements at the height of his career, Manyonga unfortunately suffered a relapse in 2020 which led to a four (4) year ban which ends in December 2024.
Clinix Chief Marketing Officer, Matshepo Majola said: “As the Clinix Health Group, we pride ourselves as a responsible corporate citizen that cares for the well-being of the communities we serve. This awareness campaign is very important to us, as our country is faced with a mammoth drug problem that cuts across all races, classes and age groups. Statistics shockingly reveal that one in four pre-teens have experimented with psychoactive drugs, and that a third of South Africans who are 15 years and older are current drinkers and almost 60% of those engage in binge drinking.
“As a people-centred brand, we would like this campaign to not only raise awareness about the adverse effects of substance and illicit drugs use, but to also drive a message of empathy that will encourage individuals struggling with substance use disorders and addiction to seek help and get support, which is what we offer at our various wellness centres across Gauteng.”
The Clinix Health Group will also collaborate with community-based organisations, schools and other stakeholders to host community engagement activations throughout the duration of the campaign. These will take place at various communities where Clinix wellness centres are located across Gauteng.
“Our partnership with the three sport stars who will be our campaign ambassadors, in particular, was a deliberate move, because we are convinced that their relatable individual stories will have a positive impact and aptly demonstrate how sport can have both positive and negative associations to substance use and addiction,” added Majola
