Top golfer to drive around in a Hyundai Palisade

Hyundai Automotive South Africa today handed over a brand-new Hyundai Palisade to the Sunshine Tour’s number one golf player for the 2024/25 season, Danie van Tonder. Gideon Jansen van Rensburg, CEO of Hyundai Automotive South Africa, did the honours.

“I wish to express my sincere gratitude to Hyundai Automotive South Africa for this generous vehicle sponsorship. This means a lot to me, and it will definitely serve as even greater motivation to work even harder. My family and I are immensely grateful and cannot wait to create memorable moments of driving this classy Palisade,” Danie states.

“As Hyundai Automotive South Africa, we congratulate Danie on a brilliant golfing season which resulted in his automatic promotion to play at the prestigious DP World Tour. We are proud to partner with him,” Hyundai’s Jansen van Rensburg said.

Toyota, Free State Cheetahs to scrum together for three more years

Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) announced its recommitment to seven-time Currie Cup champions, the Toyota Cheetahs. Building on a strong heritage of 15 years, the sponsorship of the Toyota Cheetahs will be extended for another three years, from April 2025 to March 2028.

Commenting on the sponsorship renewal, Leon Theron, Senior Vice President: Sales and Marketing Toyota South Africa said: “TSAM is proud to be associated with the Toyota Cheetahs. Rugby is a sport deeply woven into the fabric of the South African heritage, showcasing our cultural diversity and contributing to nation-building and unity. By extending our partnership, we reaffirm our commitment to sport and community development.”

“We are incredibly proud of the extension of our valued partnership with Toyota, particularly in this historic year as Free State Rugby celebrates 130 years of existence. Since 2011, Toyota has been more than just a sponsor — the group has been an integral part of the Cheetahs family. We look forward to building on this strong foundation and achieving even greater success together," enthused Rory Duncan, CEO of the Free State Cheetahs.

Renault partners up with Tennis SA, NWU for clay court tournament

Tennis players across South Africa will be given a chance to compete on clay courts for the first time on home soil when the inaugural Renault Clay Courts Challenge series is held at the North-West University (NWU) in Potchefstroom between 9 May and 10 August 2025.

A joint venture between the NWU, Tennis South Africa (TSA) and Renault South Africa, the inaugural series will feature day and night matches across a range of age groups.

Anthony Moruthane, the TSA General Manager, hopes the Renault Clay Courts Challenge will assist players in becoming more accustomed to the slower surface, in preparation for international clay court tournaments. “We thank Renault South Africa for their continued backing of local tennis, which has been instrumental in driving the sport since the launch of our partnership earlier this year.”

Prof Daryl Balia, deputy vice-chancellor for Information Technology and Potchefstroom Campus operations, described the upcoming tournament as yet another testimony to the fact that the NWU’s sports facilities are second to none on the entire continent.

Ford Ranger helps in fight to reintroduce fish in natural habit

The Berg-Breede Whitefish (Witvis) is an endemic species once abundant in the Berg and Breede rivers in the Western Cape. Historically, it was one of the dominant large fish species in the Berg River but faced significant threats. By the 1990s, the Witvis had disappeared from the Berg River owing to habitat degradation and invasive species like bass.

Now, after a 30-year absence, a dedicated project run by the Freshwater Research Centre, titled ‘Bringing Back the Witvis’, is underway with the support of the Ford Wildlife Foundation (FWF). Led by Dr Jeremy Shelton, senior researcher at the Freshwater Research Centre, the project is focused on reintroducing the Witvis into the Berg.

FWF will provide the project team with a Ford Ranger Double Cab 4x4 for a period of two years, providing essential mobility for the staff to reach the often remote terrain that is typical of a project such as this.

A key aspect of the FWF’s initiatives involves the provision of locally manufactured Ford Ranger Double Cab 4x4s to support partner organisations. The vehicles are provided by Ford South Africa to partner organisations for a period of two years.