Brands
Switch powers up as SA20’s official energy drink partner for three more years
JOHANNESBURG: SA20 and Switch Energy Drink have struck a renewed and expanded multi-year deal, cementing the proudly South African brand as the league’s official energy drink partner from Season 4, which kicks off on 26 December.
The partnership — now locked in for the next three years — builds on a successful debut season where Switch electrified fans with tastings, cash giveaways and stadium activations across 34 match days.
“I am thrilled to renew and expand our partnership with Switch Energy Drink for Season 4,” said SA20 league commissioner Graeme Smith. “Switch is a bold, proudly South African brand that shares the same energetic and youthful approach as SA20. Together we will ignite stadiums and give fans unforgettable experiences.”
Switch CEO Christian Wentzel echoed the sentiment. “This isn’t just a sponsorship — it’s a celebration of South African sport and culture. The league brings people together and that’s the kind of energy Switch lives for.”
The timing is no accident. Preparations are ramping up for a much-hyped Season 4, with pre-signed and retained players already announced, featuring marquee Proteas and overseas stars. The next major milestone is the player auction in Johannesburg on 9 September , where franchises can collectively splash up to $7.4m to finalise their 19-player squads.
Watch the Switch-SA20 brand promotion video by clicking here:
Brands
Lululemon picks former Nike executive to be its next chief
Heidi O’Neill, who helped grow Nike into a $45 billion giant, will take the top job in September
CANADA: Lululemon has found its next chief executive, and she comes with serious credentials. The athleisure giant named Heidi O’Neill as its new CEO on Wednesday, ending a search that has left the company running on interim leadership since earlier this year. O’Neill will take charge on September 8, 2026, based out of Vancouver, and will join the board on the same day.
O’Neill brings more than three decades of experience across performance apparel, footwear and sport. The bulk of that time was spent at Nike, where she was a central figure in one of corporate sport’s great growth stories, helping take the company from a $9 billion business to a $45 billion global powerhouse. She oversaw product pipelines, brand strategy and consumer connections, and played a significant role in shaping how Nike spoke to athletes around the world. Earlier in her career, she worked in marketing for the Dockers brand at Levi Strauss. She also brings boardroom experience from Spotify Technology, Hyatt Hotels and Lithia and Driveway.
The board was unequivocal in its enthusiasm. “We selected Heidi because of the breadth of her experience, her demonstrated success delivering breakthrough ideas and initiatives at scale, and her ability to be a knowledgeable change and growth agent,” said Marti Morfitt, executive chair of Lululemon’s board.
O’Neill, for her part, was bullish. “Lululemon is an iconic brand with something rare: genuine guest love, a product ethos rooted in innovation, and a global platform still in the early stages of its potential,” she said. “My job will be to accelerate product breakthroughs, deepen the brand’s cultural relevance, and unlock growth in markets around the world.”
Until she arrives, Meghan Frank and André Maestrini will continue as interim co-CEOs, before returning to their previous senior leadership roles once O’Neill steps in.
Lululemon is betting that a Nike veteran who helped build one of the world’s most powerful sports brands can do something similar for an athleisure label that has genuine love from its customers but is still chasing its full global potential. O’Neill has done it before at scale. The question now is whether she can do it again.
