Herzlia alumnus to head SA women’s football

Herzlia alumnus and Cape Town resident Romaney Pinnock has always been passionate about “creating spaces for girls and women in the world of football”, and now she can do it at national level with her appointment as the South African Football Association (SAFA) head of women’s football.

“Sometimes you do get what you wish for. Football changed my life. I cannot wait to help it change the lives of so many more girls and women in South Africa,” she wrote on LinkedIn after the appointment was announced on 20 July.

Speaking to the SA Jewish Report, she says she hasn’t been shy about wanting to reach this point. “Five years ago, I started talking about the fact that I wanted to be the head of women’s football for SAFA. I kept seeing more and more that needed improving – from grassroots to professional level – and I wanted to be a part of making women’s football great in South Africa. So, I was in quite a state of shock on receiving the news. It’s a daunting role, there’s so much to do, but I cannot believe I’m the person who now gets to drive it. What a blessing!

“I’m excited to have a lasting impact at both grassroots and professional level,” she says. “This country has so much talent. I’m blessed with the task of putting structures in place to find, nurture, and support that talent, while creating a more professional offering for players who are good enough to represent their regions, provinces, and country.

“You cannot talk about women’s football in South Africa without talking about gender issues, safety, and access,” she says. “This job isn’t just about having the right coaches in the right places, it’s also about driving a culture shift towards protecting girls and creating sporting communities where they are welcomed, cared for, and can grow into the best and strongest versions of themselves.”

Pinnock is so passionate about the sport, she started a women’s football club, Badgers Football Academy, in 2017. “It has been a consistent side project for me over the years and has grown incredibly. We focus on growing the number of girls and women playing football, driven by the values of kindness, inclusivity, and respect.

“We are fully female-owned and managed, striving to operate as the most professional football club in an amateur ecosystem. Most of our staff are volunteers, and we offer incredible coaching, professional refereeing, and door-to-door transport after dark, all while nurturing the empowerment, growth, and education of our members, young and old. We offer several school scholarships, and ensure that our members feel safe and supported when they are at the club.”

Badgers now has four competing teams: under-16, Senior 1st, Senior 2nd, a team within the provincial league, and a large number of social players. “We strive to create pathways for girls and women, on and off the field.”

Pinnock was born in Grahamstown and has lived in Cape Town since 1994. “I attended Herzlia since Grade 4 and went on to study at the University of Cape Town where I did a BSc majoring in biochemistry and genetics, followed by a Medical Honours in cancer genetics. I then completed an MSc in Ecotoxicology [environmental pollution management] at the University of Siena in Italy. In 2011, I started working as a management consultant in a small local firm. As much as I have been able to, I have worked in the education, government, and non-profit sectors, helping clients with strategic planning, organisational structuring, programme design, and general operational improvements.”

She has held the roles of chief operations officer of The Desmond & Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation; programme manager for the Western Cape Education Department; and has been a freelance strategy consultant, recently for UEFA (the Union of European Football Associations), the University of Cape Town, and the University of Zululand.

“In 2022, I completed the FIFA Master in Management, Law and Humanities of Sport, and as of this month, I work for SAFA – finally combining my management consulting life with my football life,” she says.

The job will entail “examining the county’s football from community to professional level, and creating strategies and structures that lift the overall level of women’s football, while empowering girls and women on and off the field,” Pinnock says. “It’s also about fundraising, sponsorship, and the commercialisation of the women’s game. Across the world, brands are recognising the benefits of investing in women’s football – now to light that fire here in South Africa and get the backing from donors and investors who want to see growth in the sector!”

She knows there will be challenges. “Football in South Africa is a political and male-dominated sector. I hope I get the necessary support and backing from all necessary stakeholders to have a lasting impact on girls and women across the country.”

She points out that “team sports have the power to change lives”.

“South Africa is a deeply patriarchal country, and one of the most unsafe in the world for girls to grow up in. In a society of this nature, finding a place of solace, support, and growth, all rolled up into healthy sporting activities and friend-making, can be life-changing. The more professionally managed sporting or cultural communities girls can attend, the more overall empowerment and growth we will see in young women and in society as a whole.”

With her credentials and drive, she could go anywhere in the world, but she says, “Cape Town is the most exceptional city. It’s home, and if the lights could just stay on, it will always be home.”

Her time at United Herzlia Schools had an impact on where she is today. “I had some incredible teachers at Herzlia. Fatima Savel, Grace Elliot, and Ron Jones were directly responsible for my educational trajectory beyond school into the sciences. They were three of the most incredible educators I have ever encountered, and taught me the importance of great mentors.

“Ted Faulkner, Leonie Oram, Mark Helfrich, Gail Simon, Hilary Waters – all taught me to question, to learn, to be constantly curious, all while maintaining a strong moral compass. Their subject matter was taught in a way that reminded me to find the good in the world, and to keep working towards impact creation.”