A Proud Local Touch for This Year’s SPAR Women’s Challenge

Photo Credit: Supplied Full Stop Communications

The Association for the Physically Disabled has secured one of its biggest orders yet, creating valuable work opportunities for people with disabilities in Nelson Mandela Bay.

Gqeberha, South Africa (01 September 2026) – Thousands of runners taking part in this year’s SPAR Women’s Challenge in Gqeberha will be wearing a little piece of Nelson Mandela Bay pride, with a local non-profit organisation taking on a major merchandise order for the event.

The Association for the Physically Disabled (APD) in Nelson Mandela Bay has been appointed to produce 6 000 T-shirts, 6 000 scrunchies and 6 000 goodie bags for this year’s challenge.

It is a milestone for the organisation and the event, marking the first time in the 36-year history of the Women’s Challenge that its participant merchandise has been produced by an NPO.

The order is one of the biggest ever secured by APD’s clothing factory in North End, where the organisation creates income-generating opportunities for people with disabilities.

Around half of the facility’s 80-strong workforce is currently involved in producing the merchandise, with the order expected to be completed by the end of August.

Photo Credit: Supplied Full Stop Communications

The partnership followed a visit to the factory last year by SPAR Eastern Cape managing director Solly Engelbrecht and marketing executive Natasha Rogan. What they saw prompted SPAR to bring the merchandise production closer to home and place the order directly with APD.

For APD director Cecilia Fourie, the significance goes far beyond making T-shirts.

“People with disabilities need to prove to the world that they can do exactly the same work as anyone else.”

She says the partnership is particularly meaningful because APD is being backed for the quality of its work, rather than out of sympathy.

For SPAR Eastern Cape, the partnership is part of a broader commitment to local procurement and creating meaningful economic opportunities within Nelson Mandela Bay.

Sponsorship controller Honey Koba says the collaboration demonstrates what can happen when local skills and local opportunities come together.

She also believes this could be just the beginning, with discussions already looking towards potentially expanding the range next year to include items such as cross-body bags, socks and tights.

Last year, that partnership helped bring a wheelchair race to the Women’s Challenge programme for the first time, with competitors from APD, the Amputee Support Group, the Bona uBuntu Programme and Cheshire Homes taking part.

Now, thousands more people will get to experience the organisation’s work when the Women’s Challenge takes place on 26 September.

And this time, they will be wearing the impact of that partnership.