It was a fashionably orange affair as celebrities, cultural tastemakers and sport superfans made a fashionable statement at Cheetos’ recent Varsity Sports launch event. The global snack brand turned up the energy at the Cheetos Playground in Johannesburg, celebrating its new partnership as the official Snack Partner of Varsity Football for the 2026 season, alongside a three-year partnership with Varsity Sports that will extend into Varsity Cup.
The Cheetos Playground opened with an electrifying press conference-style stunt featuring Siyamthanda
Jwacu, Dedrick West and Oaratwile Matlala, who represent a new generation of superfans making
sports more playful again. The brand has dubbed these personalities “Cheetos Playmakers” who
proudly announced that they are taking their joy to the campuses in a bid to bring their undeniable fan
culture to university sports, making Varsity Football & Varsity Cup all the more fun.
The event, hosted by Siyamthanda Jwacu, featured headline performances from powerhouse DJ duo Ponahalo Majepelo and Nkuley Masemola, YFM’s LesediTheDJ and rising Afro tech star DJ Oara. It was a fashionable affair with guests honouring the “athleisure with a pop of orange” theme. Notable faces spotted making stylish appearances included actor Zamani Mbatha, Love Island star Libho Geza, reality star and content creators, including Smokey Mirror, Altegang Song, Chelsea Netshiomvani, Dumisa Sakwe, Ikho Kweba, Sabelo Mathonsi and Thabang Mazibuko.
“Sport is always more exciting when the fans bring the energy. Through Cheetos Playmakers, we’re celebrating the superfans who make sports so special, and we are thrilled to partner with them to bring that playful energy to campuses all around the country. We’re excited to partner with Varsity Sports and can’t wait to see universities come alive during Varsity Football this season and Varsity Cup next year,” said Thato Tloubatla, Brand Manager for Cheetos & Simba at PepsiCo South Africa.
“These partnerships speak to the distinctive culture that Varsity Football and Varsity Cup have built around South African university sport,” says Lisa Roux, Sponsorship Manager for Varsity Sports. “Varsity Football blends serious football with the unpredictable, passionate energy of student life, while Varsity Cup remains one of the most-loved competitions in South African university rugby. Cheetos’ appetite for campus engagement and its instinct for activation-first marketing makes it a natural fit for two properties driven by that same energy, and we’re delighted to be building a four-year relationship with the brand through Varsity Cup following on from the 2026 Varsity Football season.”
“Sport is always more exciting when the fans bring the energy. Through Cheetos Playmakers, we’re celebrating the superfans who make sports so special, and we are thrilled to partner with them to bring that playful energy to campuses all around the country. We’re excited to partner with Varsity Sports and can’t wait to see universities come alive during Varsity Football this season and Varsity Cup next year,” said Thato Tloubatla, Brand Manager, Cheetos & Simba at PepsiCo South Africa.
As the partnership rolls out, Cheetos will bring its signature Can’t Hide The Fun spirit to Varsity Football this season through campus activations, fan engagement and Cheetos playmaker rewards that will be awarded to the most playful fans at universities. The brand wants to reinforce its playful proposition and encourage a cultural shift in how fans experience sport.
Head over to Cheetos’ social pages on @cheetos_sa (Instagram) and @cheetos_za (TikTok) to follow the
journey. #Canthidethefun #VarsityFootball
