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Today marks the official opening of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) (https://FSC.org) Stadium of Life, Africa's first stadium constructed with sustainably sourced timber. The structure, which sets a new standard for responsible construction practices in Africa, was independently certified by DNV Business Assurance against Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) requirements under project certification (DNV-PRO-002776).

The FSC Stadium of Life is the latest development at the Kick4Life Centre, a hub of social and economic development in the heart of Maseru, Lesotho's capital city. The centre was first opened in 2011 as part of FIFA's legacy for the 2010 FIFA Men's World Cup in South Africa, with this initial support from world football's governing body resulting in one of the world's leading examples of a major tournament legacy achieving sustainable social impact.

Today's event brings together stakeholders from Lesotho and internationally, to learn about the unique approach to sustainable design and construction that was used for the FSC Stadium of Life, as well as learning how the facility supports the wider work of Kick4Life FC, as a charity, social enterprise and football club dedicated to social change.

Gerard Busse, FSC's Africa and Middle East Regional Market Development Manager, says: “Project certification verifies that the forest materials come from responsibly managed forests, ensuring the promotion of environmental stewardship and community development”.

Peter Alele, FSC's Africa Regional Director adds: “The project highlights the continent's potential to set global benchmarks in sustainable forestry, while demonstrating how responsible forest management can support wider social and economic development”.

Greg Markwell, Sales Manager for DNV Business Assurance Africa, says: “We're proud to have supported the FSC Stadium of Life through our independent certification, helping to give confidence that the timber used is responsibly sourced and traceable. This was a passion project for me personally and the vision reflects DNV's purpose of safeguarding life, property and the environment, and shows how sustainability and ingenuity can be embedded into landmark developments that deliver real community value – today and for generations to come”.

The design and construction process was led by Rise International through its ‘in loco' design and build training programme, which supports the development of young professionals in the construction industry.

Pedro Clarke, the project's lead architect at Rise International, says: “As the construction sector seeks materials with a lower carbon footprint, eyes are turning towards forest products”.

The stadium features 8,584 treated Eucalyptus poles, minimising concrete use and highlighting the potential of sustainable building materials. The poles were sourced from MTO Forestry's FSC-certified plantations in Mpumalanga, South Africa, and by using FSC-certified timber, the project directly supports responsible forestry practices.

Daniela Gusman, Founder of Rise International, adds: “The Stadium of Life exemplifies a paradigm shift in sports infrastructure, combining sustainability, social impact, and cultural representation”.

The inclusion of a unique ‘Biodiversity Stand' dedicated to showcasing diverse flora from across Lesotho's ten districts further highlights the important relationship between sport and nature, and will be used for community education about the importance of promoting biodiversity.  A small outdoor amphitheatre – the Theatre of Life – has also been integrated, providing a stunning space for a wide range of educational sessions and cultural performances, and the opportunity to watch football through the lens of nature.

Steve Fleming MBE, Co-founder of K4L, says: “With the 2026 FIFA Men's World Cup starting next month, we are proud to continue building on the legacy of Africa's first tournament 16 years ago. Since the initial investment of a centre through FIFA's '20 Centres for 2010' initiative, we have added a number of award-winning hospitality social enterprises, including No.7 Restaurant and Hokahanya Hotel & Conference Centre, which generate income to sustain our sports-based community programmes, as well as providing training and employment opportunities for young people”.

Fleming continues: “Combined with our health education, gender empowerment and life-skills development programmes, this pioneering approach to organisational sustainability and livelihoods saw us recognised with the 2025 Laureus Sport for Good Award, and the FSC Stadium of Life is the latest development which continues to push new boundaries in Sport for Good and the sports industry as a whole”.

Motlatsi Nkhahle, Kick4Life's Country Director, adds: “The new facility will extend the impact of Kick4Life's existing centre, serving as a home ground for our football teams, including our women's team who became national champions of Lesotho in 2025, qualifying for the CAF Women's Champions League. Through the Kick4Life Academy, the facility will also be used to prepare more young people - on and off the field - for genuinely life-changing student-athlete scholarships at international universities”. 

The launch event will also provide an opportunity for guests to observe a Sport for Good exhibition on Kick4Life's 5-a-side pitch, with new artificial turf donated by SIS Pitches. There will also be an introduction to the centre's latest social enterprise - Bophelo Gymnasium & Health Club, led by two young women who have been trained as gym and fitness instructors. Constructed using four repurposed shipping containers, the gym was developed as a part of SESLA (Sport for Education and Sustainable Livelihoods in Africa) and the Sustained Insight and Impact Initiative, backed by the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and Agence Française de Développement (AFD).

Nkhahle concludes: “The FSC Stadium of Life is more than just a place to watch football; it is a destination that combines sport, nature, art, culture and social impact. It is an inspirational place where you can become part of a special community dedicated to building a brighter future for the children and young people of Lesotho”.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Forest Stewardship Council.

About Kick4Life FC:
Kick4Life FC is a multi-award-winning charity, social enterprise and football club based in Lesotho in Southern Africa. Their mission is to transform the lives of children and young people in Lesotho through the power of sport, with a range of interventions focused on health, education, gender, employability and nature. Through Kick4Life Assist, they also support organisations globally in developing and implementing Sport for Good programmes and social enterprises. Kick4Life's work was recognised with the Laureus Sport for Good Award 2025.

About Forest Stewardship Council (FSC®):
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC®) is a non-profit organization that provides a proven responsible forest management solution. Currently, over 170 million hectares of forests worldwide are certified according to FSC standards. It is widely regarded as the most rigorous forest certification system among NGOs, consumers, and businesses alike to tackle today's deforestation, climate, and biodiversity challenges. The FSC forest management standard is based on ten core principles designed to address a broad range of environmental, social and economic factors. FSC's “check tree” label is found on millions of forest-based products and verifies that they are responsibly sourced, from forest to consumer. https://FSC.org.

About Rise International:
Rise International is a nonprofit organization dedicated to partnering with rural African communities to create sustainable opportunities in education, architecture, and economic empowerment, with a special focus on women and children. Their innovative social enterprise model combines humanitarian mission with sustainable business practices, creating self-funding initiatives that generate both social impact and economic value within the communities they serve.

About DNV Business Assurance:
DNV Business Assurance is a leading global provider of accredited management system certification, supply chain assurance, and training services. Operating in over 100 countries, it helps companies across diverse sectors manage risk, improve performance, and ensure compliance, having issued over 70,000 certificates for safety, quality, and environmental standards.

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