The court is where
futures are built.
The Robin Kleinveldt Tennis Foundation identifies, nurtures, and elevates young talent from under-resourced communities in Cape Town — providing access to coaching, mentorship, nutrition, and life skills that build confidence, resilience, and pathways to a brighter future.
UnsplashOur Mission
Tennis as a tool for transformation.
Our mission is to create safe, supportive tennis environments where young people from underserved communities in Cape Town can grow in character and build essential life skills — skills that empower them to succeed both on and off the court.
Our purpose is to develop strong, resilient young people through tennis — instilling leadership, discipline, and self-belief. We remove every barrier: coaching, equipment, nutrition, and mentorship are all provided free of charge. We go to the community and meet children where they are.
Our Programme“Tennis taught me to think before I react. That one lesson changed everything for me — on the court and off it.”
The Programme
More than tennis lessons.
Our programme is built around four integrated pillars, delivered free of charge to children in underserved communities across Cape Town. Every session is intentionally designed so development on court translates to confidence and opportunity off court.
Pillar One
Coaching & Technical Development
Certified coaches deliver structured, age-appropriate training from beginner fundamentals through competitive pathway development, with clear goals and consistent encouragement.
Pillar Two
Life Skills & Mentorship
Inclusion, resilience, discipline, and integrity are built into every session so lessons learned on court transfer directly into school, home, and community life.
Pillar Three
Nutrition & Wellbeing
Nutritious meals are provided at every session because sustained wellbeing is essential for learning, confidence, and long-term development.
Pillar Four
Academic Support & Pathways
Participation is linked to school engagement, with mentors supporting homework, career guidance, and access to scholarships and further opportunities.
Coaching in community settingsWhy Cape Town
The need is urgent. The opportunity is real.
Cape Town is a city of extraordinary contrasts. While world-class facilities exist for some, children in under-resourced communities face profound barriers — hunger, limited after-school options, and no access to quality coaching or positive role models. For these young people, organised sport, and the pathways it opens, is almost non-existent.
Yet the talent is there. South Africa has a rich sporting culture and young people who, given the right support, can compete at the highest level and lead fulfilling lives. Tennis has historically been a sport for the privileged. RKTF exists to change that — breaking cycles of disadvantage and expanding opportunity in Cape Town.
We work in close partnership with local schools, community organisations, and leaders across Cape Town's underserved areas to ensure our model is grounded in community trust, culturally appropriate, and built to last.
Our Impact
Measuring what matters most.
By combining sport, nutrition, and mentorship, RKTF aims to break cycles of disadvantage and expand opportunity for young people in Cape Town. We track outcomes beyond win-loss records — because tennis is the vehicle, not the destination.
Children enrolled across South Africa
Provinces reached in Year 1
Participants with improved school attendance
Trained volunteer coaches and mentors
Leadership
The people behind the mission.
RKTF is led by a team united by a single conviction — that every child, regardless of where they were born or how they grew up, deserves a fair shot. Our leadership brings together experience in sport, community development, and organisational governance.
Carla founded RKTF after more than a decade working across youth development and community sport in South Africa. Having witnessed firsthand the transformative impact tennis had on young people in under-resourced communities, she built RKTF to make that impact replicable, scalable, and sustainable. Carla holds a BA in Social Development and a postgraduate qualification in Non-Profit Management.
Ricky brings fifteen years of experience as a certified tennis coach, working with junior development programmes across Gauteng and the Western Cape. He leads the design and delivery of the RKTF coaching curriculum, oversees coach recruitment and training, and coordinates tournament pathway support for high-potential players in the programme.
Jennifer oversees RKTF's funding relationships, corporate partnerships, and compliance obligations. She brings a background in non-profit governance and strategic communications, having previously served on the boards of two registered NPOs in Johannesburg. Jennifer is responsible for ensuring RKTF maintains the highest standards of financial transparency and impact reporting.
Get Involved
Every contribution serves a child.
Your support enables access to professional coaching, equipment, mentorship, nutritious meals, competition exposure, and safe after-school environments. Together, we are developing not just tennis players — but healthy, confident, resilient future leaders.
Volunteer Coach or Mentor
Share your skills on the court or your life experience off it. We provide full training in our programme methodology and life-skills curriculum. Commitment from four hours per week in Cape Town.
Apply NowDonate
Your donation funds rackets, court access, coach salaries, transport, and tournament entries. Every rand and every dollar goes directly to a child in the programme.
Donate TodayPartner With Us
Align your brand or organisation with meaningful social impact. We offer corporate partnerships, equipment sponsorships, and event collaboration opportunities throughout the year.
Get in TouchContact
Let's talk.
Whether you would like to support our work, make a referral, discuss a partnership, or simply learn more about what we do — we would love to hear from you.
carla@rktf.org.za
NPO registration pending