Mercedes-Benz South Africa, in partnership with the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, developed a socio-economic development Incubation Hub to capacitate, nurture and accelerate the growth of non-profit organisations that uplift communities in East London in the Eastern Cape.
Mercedes-Benz South Africa approved and graduated non-profit organisations from its Incubation Hub programme and donated R6 million towards social causes championed by these non-profits.
“Our mission has always been to play an active role in the sustainable impact of the communities in which we operate. The Incubation Hub acknowledges the significant role of non-profit organisations in our efforts to promote community upliftment and make a tangible difference and impact in the lives of many in the Eastern Cape,” says Abey Kgotle, Executive Director: Human Resources & Corporate Affairs, Mercedes-Benz South Africa.
The Incubation Hub is an extension of a nine-year partnership between Mercedes-Benz South Africa and Laureus Sports for Good Foundation. Now in its second year, this year’s cohort of non-profit organisations embarked on a four-month training programme where they were supported, empowered and professionally developed.
The Incubation Hub offered support and mentorship to the NPOs by providing guidance on organisational strategy, governance, child safeguarding & vetting, financial management, monitoring & evaluation as well as online education sessions, mentorship and access to networks and other crucial aspects of managing an NPO. The support provided by the Incubation Hub was intended to significantly increase the chances of a the NPO’s success.
The training programme culminated in a graduation ceremony and the donation of R 1.5 million to the three best performing NPOs which were iZibalo NPC, EduSport Youth and Thetha Nathi Counselling Services.
R300 000 was awarded to all the participating organisations of the Incubation Hub in recognition of their commitment to sustainable community solutions. These organisations will work with the company to implement practical and sustainable solutions to uplift communities located in the Eastern Cape, through a focus on MBSA’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) pillars, including Education, Women Empowerment and Community Upliftment, to name a few.
“The Incubation Hub provided a supportive ecosystem that accelerated the growth and success of the NPOs. The concept of incubation supports the overarching role Laureus sees itself performing – enabling positive social transformation through sport, but also facilitating transformation through meaningful partnerships. We are very pleased with the ground-breaking work we continue to deliver in partnership with Mercedes-Benz South Africa,” says Marlene Coetzee-George, the Chief Executive Officer of Laureus Sport for Good Foundation South Africa.
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Volvo has confirmed that its vehicles will now integrate Google’s Gemini artificial intelligence system. This development builds on the company’s existing collaboration with Google, which already provides Android Automotive OS and Google services in Volvo models.
New vehicle sales in 2026 continued their positive trend in April, with the 47 979 units sold marking the best April figure since 2013. This represents a remarkable performance by local automotive retailers despite a host of economic headwinds and a challenging trading environment.
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