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Launched under the #KeepingThemLockedIn platform, the Stayfree x Banyana Banyana partnership connects players, pads and performance. It reflects a shared ambition to champion confidence, participation and progress for women and girls, while using the power of sport to create an impact beyond the pitch.
For Stayfree, the partnership is about more than sponsorship visibility. It provides a platform to support conversations about menstrual health and the realities women and girls can face when accessing menstrual products, while encouraging their confidence and participation in sport and other aspects of life.
Six months after announcing the landmark partnership at SAFA (South Africa Football Association) House in Johannesburg, Stayfree brought this commitment to life at Kenvue’s East London facility on Thursday, 29 October 2026. The celebration recognised the employees whose dedication and contribution help bring Stayfree products to consumers, highlighting the people behind the brand and their role in supporting women every day.
As the Official Sanitary Pad Sponsor of Banyana Banyana, Stayfree welcomed representatives from SAFA and members of the national team for an opportunity to engage directly with employees and experience the partnership first-hand. The celebration brought employees and players together through shared engagement and friendly soccer-themed activities.
The visit will also extended the partnership into the surrounding community, creating an opportunity for Banyana Banyana players and SAFA representatives to connect with a local football academy. They also met aspiring young footballers and engaged with the people behind the products that support women and girls.
A key component of the partnership is the Goals 4 Pads initiative, through which Stayfree has committed to donating 1,000 packs of sanitary pads for every goal scored by Banyana Banyana to nominated schools, football academies, community organisations and programmes supporting women and girls across South Africa.
SAFA CEO Lydia Monyepao: “Banyana Banyana continues to inspire South Africans through its achievements, but the growth of women’s football requires support across the broader ecosystem around the players.
“The Stayfree x Banyana Banyana partnership connects the national team with the people behind the brand and creates opportunities to support women and girls beyond the pitch. We are proud to be part of initiatives that encourage participation and create a meaningful impact.”
Astrid Stealey, Managing Director of Kenvue South Africa: “Six months ago, we stood at SAFA House to announce a partnership that we believed had the potential to make a meaningful difference to women’s sport. Bringing this partnership to East London, the home of our brand, gives us an opportunity to celebrate the journey so far alongside Banyana Banyana, our SAFA partners and the community behind Stayfree.
“This next chapter reinforces our commitment to supporting women in sport and championing initiatives that make a meaningful difference in the lives of women and girls. This partnership has always been about much more than bringing two brands together. It is about recognising the realities that girls and female athletes experience and creating conversations around confidence, performance and the products that help women stay focused on what matters.”
For Banyana Banyana Head Coach Dr Desiree Ellis, the partnership reflects the importance of creating an environment where female athletes can perform with confidence.
Dr Desiree Ellis: “Performance is about much more than what happens during the 90 minutes on the pitch. Preparation, confidence and feeling comfortable in your own body all form part of being able to perform at your best.
“It is meaningful to connect with the people behind Stayfree and to see the partnership come to life beyond the football pitch. Partnerships like this help create conversations around the realities women in sport experience and show young girls that their ambitions and their place in sport matter.
“We are proud to be part of a partnership that supports players while also looking to the next generation of young girls and aspiring footballers.”
As part of the East London celebration, Stayfree will make a Goals 4 Pads donation to the local football academy, reinforcing the partnership’s commitment to supporting the next generation of female footballers and creating opportunities for young girls to grow through sport.
By bringing the partnership into the environment where Stayfree products are made, the celebration recognises the connection between the people behind the brand, the athletes who represent the nation and the young girls who look to them for inspiration.
From supporting Banyana Banyana at the highest level to encouraging young girls at grassroots level, Stayfree and its partners remain committed to supporting players, growing the game and empowering the next generation.
#KeepingThemLockedIn
SOURCED FROM SAFA WEBSITE.