Paarl, Western Cape, South Africa

The Mbekweni Youth Centre rests in the heart of Mbekweni Township on the east side of the Berg River on the main highway running between Paarl and Wellington. Strategically located to provide labor to the surrounding wine farms, metropolitan businesses, and multiple housing estates, it is the skills and empowerment hub of the wider Black community in this part of the Winelands.

The Youth Centre provides computer training, and fitness and mindfulness education to local young people, as well as a feeding scheme. The Centre was the location of the first of the promised “100 Fields” of newly renovated rugby fields developed by the Siya Kolisi Foundation in 2018.

Regina Mundi has provided support to the leadership of the Youth Centre, Eugene Maqualena (Director) and Selwyn Paterson (Manager), throughout the development of the field, and through a parallel conceptual development of an innovation center on land nearby that was obtained from the municipal government. Those projects continue, though postponed due to the national COVID pandemic response measures, and will restart in the near future.

The Youth Centre, through those difficult times of COVID recession and restrictions, offered its facilities to aid the Regina Mundi sponsoered delivery of truckloads of fresh fruit and vegetables for distribution through the Youth Centre.


The energy and innovation of the leadership, applied directly to the young beneficiaries, is what encourages Regina Mundi to support the Youth Centre and should encourage you the same.

For more information, visit the Mbekweni website at http://mbekweniyouthcentre.org/.