Sol Plaatje University (SPU) has launched its SPU Sport brand and SPU mascot, Gemmie, to help grow SPU’s presence in varsity sport competitions, and increase awareness of the larger SPU brand.
The SPU Sport brand, new SPU Sport kits, and Gemmie the gemsbok were unveiled at a glittering launch event on Friday, 27 May 2022.
Attendees at the event included representatives from Athletics SA, Maties Sport, University Sport South Africa, Netball SA, and the Northern Cape Department of Sports, Arts and Culture, who all conveyed strong messages of support for the new SPU Sport brand. More than 65 guests attended the in-person event and more than 200 watched proceedings on the YouTube live stream.
The newly launched SPU Sport brand seeks to inspire courage and passion. The dominance of red and the emblem of the gemsbok certainly convey strong images of strength, resilience, endurance, and tenacity. These attributes will ensure that SPU Sport, which is rapidly making its mark on the national stage, becomes the destination of choice for student athletes in the future.
Gemmie the gemsbok was well received and promises to become an adored symbol of SPU. The beautifully designed sports kits are already a hit, and the new SPU Sport logo is popping up all over campus. The unified sport brand will help SPU expand its brand identity and foster an increased sense of sporting pride for the SPU community.
SPU Sport teams will be known as the “Gemsboks” or “Gemmies’’, the event heard.
The brand was inspired by the impact of SPU in its community. It seeks to inspire hope for the people of the Northern Cape, South Africa, and the rest of the world, by showcasing the resilience of the people of Kimberley and the province. It builds on the legacy of sport in Kimberley and the Northern Cape and aligns with and flows from the larger SPU brand.
Mr Qondakele Sompondo, our Director of Institutional Advancement, says we wanted the SPU Sport brand to capture “the essence of resilience, tenacity, triumph of the human spirit, longevity, teamwork, sportsmanship, and overcoming adversity. We chose the gemsbok because it’s known for its athleticism – including speed, strength, and endurance. Gemsboks are gregarious animals; they congregate in groups of 50 to 200, and that is the essence of teamwork.”
With the soon to be unveiled SPU Sports Precinct and the future establishment of the SPU Sports Academy still on the horizon, speakers at the event said Kimberley is set to become a beacon of sporting pride.
Watch key highlights of the event by clicking here: https://youtu.be/hMCmPvuRFcU
