Mbatha beaming with pride after attaining certificate
PSL players complete course in business
Having already ventured into a few business fields like property, Golden Arrows goalkeeper Siyabonga Mbatha trusts the business certificate he’s just attained from Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS), through the PSL Player Transition Programme, will come in handy in his business interests.
Mbatha, 33, was part of PSL players from all 16 Premiership clubs who graduated from the programme on Monday, having had enrolled at GIBS earlier this year.
Chiefs captain Itumeleng Khune and Sekhukhune United skipper Linda Mntambo were also among the graduates of this initiative.
“Basically, we attained certificates in business studies. We had modules like personal branding, marketing, technology and others. They made us understand that we are brands as footballers and how we must position ourselves to get opportunities as brands.
“We are now preparing for life after football, so whatever we do now we must safeguard our well-being and the future,” Mbatha said yesterday.
“This certificate will help me a lot, especially when it comes to understanding the business deeper and how to run a successful one. I have already started venturing into different businesses... property is one of the things I am involved in. I currently have six apartments I am renting out in and around Durban.”
Mbatha said it wasn’t easy as they had to juggle classes with their training sessions as professional footballers. He added that the key thing was to know what you want to accomplish at the end of the day.
“It was difficult because of the time we were attending our classes. We were attending from 6pm to 9pm in the evening on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
“So it was challenging because you had to remember you have a class after training. There were also online classes. It all boiled down to what you want as an individual. No one was making sure we attended classes, it was just a matter of knowing what you want.”