African Bank confirms Soweto Marathon prize money

By Charles Baloyi
20th October 2025

Headline sponsor of the Soweto Marathon, African Bank has confirmed that the winners of this year’s 42.2km race — both male and female — will each walk away with R250,000.

The race is set to take place on 29 November at Nasrec, and the bank has assured athletes and fans that all prize money and race-related expenses are fully covered.

As African Bank celebrates its 50th anniversary, Chief Marketing Officer Sbusiso Khumalo told SABC Sport that the bank remains committed to supporting the event despite the ongoing dispute between the Soweto Marathon Trust (SMT) and the Non-Profit Company (NPC) over the rights to host the race, which includes the 42.2km, 21.1km, and 10km distances.

“The disagreements between the two parties don’t involve us,” said Khumalo.

“Our role is to make sure the race happens and that the winners receive their prize money. We have a three-year sponsorship contract, and we plan to renew it when it ends next year.”

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Khumalo emphasized that African Bank’s support goes directly into ensuring the smooth running of the event — from paying the winners and service providers to supplying race T-shirts and water points.

“We sponsored three watering points last year and plan to increase that this year. The prize money remains at R250,000. We are here for the runners and the people of Soweto, to make sure everyone enjoys a great race,” he said.

He added that while challenges threaten the future of the marathon, African Bank remains focused on its commitment to the runners and the community.

“We didn’t come in because of panic — we came in to give back to our customers who support us. We’ll do everything we can to ensure the race continues. We are not politicians; our role is to make the race possible financially,” Khumalo explained.

Looking ahead, Khumalo revealed his ambition to see the Soweto Marathon prize purse grow substantially.

“My aspiration is to see this race offer R1 million in prize money in the future. We are working closely with the organizers to make that a reality — but we have to do it responsibly,” he concluded.