By Tankiso Komane.
Stayfree, the Official Sanitary Pad Sponsor of Banyana Banyana, brought its football-led fan experience to Bloemfontein from 9 to 13 October 2026, rallying local supporters behind South Africa’s national women’s football team as they faced Madagascar in a two-legged Olympic qualifier at Toyota Stadium.
Hosted at Loch Logan Waterfront, the four-day experience kicked-off with mall activations, building excitement ahead of the home fixture, bringing fans closer to the game through interactive football-themed activities and opportunities to win tickets to the match.
The activation encouraged the Bloemfontein community to show their support for Banyana Banyana and celebrate the growing impact of women’s football in South Africa.
The initiative formed part of Stayfree’s ongoing #KeepingThemLockedIn partnership with Banyana Banyana, which celebrates the connection between confidence, menstrual health and performance, while supporting women and girls both on and off the pitch.
Beyond the excitement of the game, the partnership continued to deliver meaningful impact through Stayfree’s Goals 4 Pads initiative.
For every goal scored by Banyana Banyana, Stayfree committed to donating 1,000 packs of sanitary pads to schools, football academies and other programmes supporting girls and female athletes across South Africa.
Following Banyana Banyana’s fixtures against Madagascar, Stayfree will donate an additional 6,000 packs of sanitary pads in recognition of the six goals scored by the team.
While the final match aggregate was 7–0, the seventh goal was an opposition own goal—meaning it was accidentally put into the net by a Madagascar defender rather than scored by a South African player.
In line with standard football statistics, the campaign specifically rewards goals earned through Banyana Banyana’s own offensive play, setting the Madagascar contribution at 6,000 packs.
This latest success brings the overall campaign tally to an impressive 14,000 packs of sanitary pads raised altogether since the launch of the initiative.
This total comprises 2,000 packs unlocked during the early stages of the campaign (including their historic breakthrough match against Japan on June 9, 2026), 6,000 packs raised during the team’s resilient WAFCON tournament run in Morocco in Aug/Sep, and the 6,000 packs earned during this Olympic qualifying round.
“This partnership supports our players, helps elevate women’s football and creates meaningful opportunities to impact the next generation of female athletes. For us as an association, it is about addressing barriers that prevent many young women and girls from participating in football. Many girls from disadvantaged backgrounds cannot afford basic necessities such as sanitary pads, and that affects whether they play, how comfortably they play and, ultimately, how they perform.”
— Lydia Monyepao, CEO of the South African Football Association (SAFA)
“We all come from communities and we all want to give back. There’s a meaningful way for that young girl to now start dreaming. We’re not only playing to win matches anymore. Every goal can help a young girl who may otherwise miss school or sport because she doesn’t have access to sanitary pads.”
— Dr Desiree Ellis, Head Coach, Banyana Banyana
“We all come from communities and we all want to give back. There’s a meaningful way for that young girl to now start dreaming. We’re not only playing to win matches anymore. Every goal can help a young girl who may otherwise miss school or sport because she doesn’t have access to sanitary pads.”
“People talk about the best boots, training gear and equipment needed to perform at your best, but they aren’t talking about the right pads and what that means. If you think about an elite sportswoman’s toolkit, pads have to be part of that. Reliable protection gives us confidence, and confidence allows us to perform. Female athletes deserve products that can keep up with the demands of their game.”
— Astrid Stealey, Managing Director at Kenvue Sub-Saharan Africa.