In a powerful blend of finance and sport, Sanlam Kenya has reaffirmed its commitment to growing Kenyan sporting talent on and off the track by launching a bold initiative to equip athletes with much-needed financial literacy.
At a vibrant flag-off ceremony at Sanlam Tower in Nairobi, the listed financial services provider launched its sponsorship of a group of top Kenyan long-distance runners who will participate in the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon this weekend.
This year’s event is especially special as Africa celebrates its entry into prestigious Abbott World Marathon Majors ranking Cape Town among world marathon heavyweights including Boston, London, and New York.
But beyond the glitz of global competition and the lure of a $40,000 prize purse, Sanlam is also gunning for something just as vital: financial empowerment of athletes.
At Sanlam Kenya, we are backing our athletes in more than one manner,” said Sanlam Kenya CEO Dr Nyamemba Tumbo. “Besides our corporate sponsorships, we’re exploring how we can offer tailored financial literacy training to the athletes to equip them with the skills needed to maximize their earnings while playing and during retirement.”.
The program is designed to address a long-standing deficit in athlete development financial literacy. Most athletes, even if successful internationally, are left with uncertain futures because they are not taught to save, invest, or plan for life after sport.
Flagging off the event was Kenyan running icon and International Olympic Committee member Dr Paul Tergat, who also launched the SOYA Awards. He greeted Sanlam’s double-pronged strategy of celebrating athletic excellence as well as long-term financial security as being a timely and revolutionary move.
“Our athletes are some of the best in the world. Preparing them with skills to handle financial success is as important as preparing them to win medals,” Dr Tergat stated.
Some of the athletes who have represented Kenya are Lilian Jepkorir Chebii, Vincent Kipyegon Ronoh, Josephat Kipkoech, Edwin Kiptoo, Fridah Chepkite Lodepa, Flomena Chepkiach Ngurasia, Godfrey Musanga, and Japhet Kiptoo Kiplagat all of whom have made tremendous international performances and podium finishes.
Sanlam Kenya has fully sponsored the team, including all logistics, accommodation, and race fees, as part of its broader mission to move Africa to the center stage of global athletics and trigger transformational change through strategic sponsorships.
The Sanlam Cape Town Marathon is proof that there is growing optimism that sport can be a catalyst for economic and social change.
By connecting sporting sponsorship with financial knowledge, Sanlam is betting on a future when African athletes do not only compete on, but also live off and beyond the globe.
As Kenya’s athletes look to Cape Town, they are not merely carrying national pride they are carrying a message of advancement, empowerment, and sustainable success.
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