03.12.2022

SOUTH AFRICA’S FUTURE SOCCER STARS TO BATTLE IT OUT AT INAUGURAL VW VAYA CUP TOURNAMENT

  • Volkswagen is set to host the inaugural VW Vaya Cup soccer tournament this December
  • The VW Vaya Cup soccer tournament aims to drive youth soccer development in South Africa
  • The tournament will take place from 9 - 11 December 2022 at the University of Witwatersrand
Johannesburg, 6 December 2022 – Volkswagen is proudly hosting the inaugural VW Vaya Cup Tournament, as part of the ongoing commitment to driving youth development through soccer in South Africa.


The tournament will take place from 9 - 11 December 2022 at the University of Witwatersrand. A total of 16 under 13 boys’ and eight under 16 girls’ soccer teams will be battling it out with the hopes of being crowned the first VW Vaya Cup Champions.

“Volkswagen has been supporting soccer development initiatives for over 20 years. At Volkswagen we believe that sport in South Africa, specifically soccer, is more than a game, a passion point, career dream or spectator hobby; it has the power to play a beneficial role in youth development which helps to facilitate individual and team growth while building healthy passions and habits,” said Steffen Knapp, Head of the Volkswagen Passenger Car Brand.

Launching this year, the VW Vaya Cup provides a platform for young soccer players, both boys and girls, to upskill, develop and showcase their talents, while also driving meaningful life skills and the invaluable lessons of teamwork.

Previously known as the VW Junior Masters Tournament, Volkswagen took the decision to localise the tournament and thus renamed and rebranded it to the ‘VW Vaya Cup’. With ‘Vaya’ meaning ‘to go’, the local initiative speaks to Volkswagen’s commitment to ‘Move People Forward’.

The tournament is run in partnership with the Volkswagen Dealer network, who support the initiative by scouting, recruiting and entering their own teams to represent their dealership in the tournament. Included in the team line-up is also a specially selected girls’ soccer team, the Alex Roses, who were recruited from Volkswagen’s female soccer initiative ‘VW Train 4 Life’, and who have been trained and mentored by soccer star and legend Simphiwe Dludlu.

This year’s winners will not only walk away with the coveted title of VW Vaya Cup Champions, they will also win team prizes.

Additionally, Volkswagen will also sponsor the winning girls and winning boys teams to attend a bespoke international training camp in 2023, where they will receive invaluable international exposure and experience.