Soweto Marathon Under Fire as Gerda Steyn, Joseph Seutloali Still Unpaid

Manfred Seidler, the Hollywood Athletics Club (HAC) manager, has reiterated that the athletes’ livelihoods are affected in the cases of prize money not being paid on time, or at all, including the case of the 2025 Soweto Marathon, where HAC’s athletes, including Gerda Steyn and Joseph Seutloali, have yet to receive their prize money.

African Bank

Almost six months after the 2025 edition of the Soweto Marathon, the athletes who finished on the podium have yet to be paid their prize money.

This is despite the main sponsor for the 2025 edition, African Bank, confirming on their social media platform that they paid the organisers, the Soweto Marathon NPC, in full.

“We acknowledge receipt of the concerns regarding the prize money for the 2025 African Bank Soweto Marathon. African Bank participated as a sponsor of the 2025 event and fulfilled all contractual obligations, including the full payment of the rights fees,” the post read on African Bank’s Facebook page.

“The administration of the race, which includes the distribution of prize payments, falls within the responsibility of the event organisers.”

The Impact

Despite the African Bank having confirmed payment, athletes have not been paid, with the organisers initially saying they were awaiting the doping results.

However, that excuse was proven to be completely false as it was reported that the doping agency had sent the results to the organisers in January, further exposing the dodgy nature of the situation.

The winner of the men’s event, Seutloali, too, has not received his R250 000 prize money, and neither has Steyn, a pair that is part of the Hollywood Athletics Club.

Furthermore, Onalenna Khonkhobe, also a Hollywood Athletics Club athlete, finished on the podium, taking third place in the men’s race, as the Club continued its domination in long-distance competitions in the country.

SportsBoom reached out to former national record holder in the 5000m, 10km and 21km categories, Manfred Seidler, who is now an Elite Manager of the Hollywood Athletics Club, to find out how the situation has affected the athletes.

Seidler told SportsBoom that the prize money is a major contributor to the athletes’ livelihoods and not receiving it could negatively impact them and their families.

"Our elite athletes are professionals who dedicate their careers to running. The prize money from races is a major contributor to their livelihoods. If they do not get paid their prize money, this has a negative impact on them and their families,” Seidler told SportsBoom.co.za.

“It's also important to remember that to prepare properly for a major race, these runners invest months in training. For long-distance races, they dedicate nine months to train and forego other races where they could be winning cash prizes.”

Lack of Communication

With the organisers’ citing that they were awaiting doping results before awarding the prize money to the winners of the 2025 edition of the race, Seidler and the Hollywood Athletics Club had to bide their time. 

When the results were released in January, Manfred told SportsBoom that they reached out to the organisers, and were informed that they were awaiting for sponsorship confirmation.

Seidler reiterated that was the last time the organisers provided updates as they proceeded with their radio silence. 

“We made consistent efforts to contact them from 15 January, once the drug results were cleared. We received feedback in mid-February indicating that the organisers were awaiting sponsorship confirmation,” said Seidler. 

“Since then, communication has been limited, and no further updates have been shared by the organisers to date," he added. 

Government Take-Over

The Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, has announced that the government will take over the Soweto Marathon and the process of organising the 2026 edition of the competition.

McKenzie has told the reporters his department will pay the 2025 winners their prize money and will not allow the coveted race to die on his watch.

“The government will be stepping in. We will not go out as a country that doesn’t pay its runners. No country is guilty of that. We shouldn’t be guilty of that,” said McKenzie.

“I will open criminal charges against them for that money. I will also make sure that we, as a department, pay people because we have much more to lose as the government if word goes out that we don’t pay athletes who come run here. There will be repercussions." 

“We can’t have a national treasure like the Soweto Marathon die in our hands, not under my watch.”

The 2026 African Bank Soweto Marathon is set to take place on 29 November.

Attempts to contact the Soweto Marathon NPC by SportsBoom were unsuccessful.