Lukhanyo Am invests in Nashua franchise to uplift community through sports and tech

Sharks and Springbok rugby player, Lukhanyo Am, has invested in a Nashua franchise in Gqeberha, in line with his passion for helping to uplift the community via the powerful vehicles of sport and technology. Am—who was born in King William’s Town in the Eastern Cape—was attracted to the Nashua brand by its strong passion for and commitment to advancing sport in South Africa.

He is also well known as an ambassador of the SuperSport Schools programme, which aims to profile the next generation of sporting superstars. SuperSport Schools records and livestreams schools sport automatically so that parents and other interested parties can watch from anywhere live or on-demand, for free.

Nashua provides technology for the programme, including artificial intelligence cameras. The franchise in Gqeberha has been instrumental in installing cameras for Grey High School in Port Elizabeth, DSG High and St Andrews School in Grahamstown, and De Vos Malan High School in King William’s Town.

The programme showcases the talent of boys and girls who play school sports including water polo, hockey, rugby, netball, and football. This enablement of sports development was the catalyst for Am’s investment into the franchise.

“It’s inspiring to see technology put to work for a cause that is so close to my heart. Perhaps my breakthrough in professional rugby would have been fast-tracked if the Super Sport Schools programme, enabled by Nashua, was available in my youth,” says Am. “As a total workspace solutions provider, Nashua also plays an essential role in supporting the businesses that create jobs and opportunities in our communities.”

At a recent event to introduce Am as a new shareholder and director at the franchise, Nashua auctioned memorabilia from three rugby icons and Nashua franchise investors—Am, Jacque Fourie and Jaco Peyper. The auction raised R35,500, matched by donations of R35,500 from Nashua HQ and R9,000 from Algoa FM, resulting in a total of R80 000 donated to the Missionvale Care Centre.

Says Linda van Oudheusden, Marketing Manager at Missionvale Care Centre: “Over the past 20 years, Nashua in Gqeberha has been one of the most reliable supporters of our mission to equip the youth in Missionvale and surrounds with skills in engineering, technology, ICT and programming. They have a clear passion for using technology to uplift and educate.”

Barry Venter, Nashua CEO, says: “Our work with Lukhanyo Am weaves together so many threads of what defines us as a brand—our 49 years of commitment to helping clients grow and succeed, our role in the South African sports story for the past 30 years, our commitment to uplifting communities, and our evolution into a workspace solutions provider with voice, energy, connectivity, smart solutions and more in our portfolio. We are excited by this collaboration and look forward to growing together in the years to come.”