The announcement was made in the week, with the FSSC confirming Siwelele FCC has become a shareholder in the consortium, which is the majority shareholder of the Toyota Cheetahs.

Siwelele FC which returned top-flight football to Bloemfontein after acquiring the status of SuperSport United in 2025, has now added an interest in the city’s professional rugby setup.

The move forms part of the FSSC’s broader ambition to strengthen Bloemfontein and the Free State’s position as a major sporting hub.

Siwelele FC chairman, Calvyn Le’John. Photo: Siwelele

According to the consortium, the partnership is aimed at creating greater collaboration across different sporting codes, while also improving opportunities for athletes and strengthening links between professional teams, schools and tertiary institutions.

The FSSC says its vision includes developing and retaining local talent, making better use of sporting facilities, building stronger relationships with schools and universities, and supporting the growth of professional sport in the province.

The consortium’s majority shareholding in the Toyota Cheetahs also gives the professional rugby franchise an important role in that broader strategy.

Toyota Stadium. Photo: Morgan Piek

For Siwelele, the investment represents another significant step in its involvement in Bloemfontein sport following its return to the city’s football landscape.

The FSSC says the involvement of Siwelele as a shareholder will help bring together two of the city’s strongest sporting communities and create opportunities for greater cooperation.

“The Free State Sports Consortium looks to a highly successful future with the involvement of Siwelele as a shareholder,” the consortium said in a statement.

Cheetahs supporters. Photo: Morgan Piek

The partnership comes at a time when both rugby and football remain central to Bloemfontein’s sporting identity, with Siwelele competing in the Premier Soccer League and the Toyota Cheetahs in the Currie Cup.

Siwelele’s acquisition of the FSSC shares could therefore mark the beginning of closer cooperation between the city’s two professional sporting brands, with the stated objective of strengthening the wider sporting ecosystem in the Free State.

OFM Sport dg