CricketPRO PLAYERS REWARDS

The Journey

Established in 2015, CricketPRO, an online boutique store hailing from Cape Town, South Africa and pioneering the only Players Rewards Program in the game of cricket.

Meet Steven Heuvel, the visionary entrepreneur from Cape Town who has revolutionized the game of cricket with his brainchild, CricketPRO Rewards System. A cricket specialist and digital marketer with over 15 years of Industry knowledge and a playing career spanning across two decades.

His notable achievements in the game are representing Western Province at youth levels & the South Africa u/19 Country Districts in 2002, after a National week batting average of 106.5 and a bowling average of 8.75. His senior career in the WPCA Premier Division saw him win multiple League Titles, back-to-back Limited-Overs Titles and participation at the National Club Cricket Champs with numerous personal accolades along the way like Player Of The Year, Sportsman Of The Year, MVP, Leading Wicket-Taker, Best Batsman and Best All-Rounder awards from the age of 13 to retirement. As a true cricket specialist and trailblazing digital marketer, Steven Heuvel is revolutionizing the cricket world with his innovative approach and unparalleled dedication to the game.

Regarded as the epitome of cricket experts in the country, Steven has left an indelible mark in the industry, having worked with an impressive roster of over 3000 players throughout his career. Such widespread recognition is a testament to the unwavering trust and reputation he has earned from the South African cricket community. However, before he earned the moniker of the “maestro,” Steven’s journey began humbly, spending three formative years in a bat factory affiliated with one of South Africa’s leading local cricket brands. It was within those factory walls that he honed his skills and accumulated an invaluable wealth of knowledge on cricket bats and equipment, laying the groundwork for his illustrious career that would follow.. “I’m always intrigued by the depth of knowledge and passion Steven has for the game, I will chat to him all day about cricket” – Client Review

THE JOURNEY

In 2007, while working in the dust of a cricket bat factory Heuvel came up with an outrageous idea of bringing cricket retail to social media on Facebook, not an idea supported by the owner at the time. It was however a social platform and very new to South African’s and there were no sports teams and presence of brands on social media at the time, it was not a trusted channel for business practice. Taking a leap of faith into uncharted territory linking business and social media, Steven went ahead in his own private time building a Facebook Group and began networking. After success with leads and conversions he got offered an admin position as Sales Manager and few years down the line a local brand became the leading brand in the country and expanding into the UK. The brand eventually surpassed all major competitors to become the choice brand in South African cricket. Steven’s time at the brand came to an end in 2015 and ventured off with the development of the CricketPRO Store and Member Rewards Program.

MR SOUTH AFRICA 2013

Heuvel the Founder of a charity organization in Cape Town, Rise 2 The Challenge went on to compete against 150 contestants from various industries and cultures for the title of Mr. South Africa. Throughout the competition Heuvel ranked in the Top 3 and often Number 1 on the National voting pole due to his story and marketing capabilities. Networking online was one of Steven’s biggest strengths and although against tough competition in a foreign industry like Body Sculpting, Fashion and Pageantry Steven went all the way to The Top 12 Final Show to compete for the title at Gold Reef City aired on national television. Heuvel said, “This part of my life is testament, that even when the odds are stacked against you, hard work, dedication and the power of digital marketing made my story reach many South Africans. I was a total stranger to many of my voters an outsider in the competition with no previous background in pageant competitions” 

CRICKETPRO “A DIGITAL CITY”

The year was 2015 just after the Cricket World Cup, the Proteas best chance of lifting the Cup but falling short to New Zealand in the semi-final. All over the media “The End of a Golden Era”. There was much talking and nothing being done, no one creating systems to improve our sport at grass roots. No one knowing what to do but continually addressing obvious problems in our sport. We lacked quality International players in our pipeline and the gap from Franchise to International cricket became bigger. What compounded this was the exit of many of our young talent to the UK, AUS and NZ along with political involvement enforcing stricter quota regulations on all Cricket Unions.

“I PUT MY HOUSE ON IT”

“All for the love of the game” in his own words – “So during my private time outside of working hours I had the idea of building a computer program where I have access to players at all levels of the game. I decided to develop a system whereby players are monitored and equipped by me.

The idea of a “Digital City” came to mind, whereby a community of passionate cricketers from around the country are gathered. A network where players have access to quality products, mentorship, growth & a blue print towards their success.., all this in a safe online environment for cricketers of all ages… This Network Centre would be called CricketPRO, where players feel like a PRO everyday as a member. Motivated to make a difference with no finance and investors, I quit my job and sold our home and funded the vision… Although many players in the system will never see me or know the sacrifices I’ve made, I’ll will be there through this system making an impact and creating the opportunities needed to succeed.” 

The Program is a global first and Heuvel has big plans of extending CricketPRO to other parts of the cricket world but first perfecting systems in South Africa. After the recent covid pandemic and social distancing of 2020 the program has grown immensely due to the fact that the communication and mentorship was still there and players had a self-service experience to keep them going while cricket was not being played.

FOUNDERS MESSAGE

“South Africa is enriched with an abundance of talent an it’s important that we unearth these diamonds early at grass roots level with the right environments, exposure and opportunity to our private cricketing schools and academies. It’s vitally important that we hold onto our cricketers here in South Africa by making the game more interesting, enjoyable and fair from grass roots level.

Cricket(Sport) is the game of the players and not the benefit of a few administrators, without players there is no game so its important for us to preserve the integrity of the sport in our nation. Regardless of your culture or the colour of your skin…, this is sport and all needs equal opportunity to thrive, enjoy and achieve in it.

“As a young boy growing up in a disadvantaged area, I often wonder how a program like this would have benefited me during my playing days. Access to top-quality equipment was scarce and pricy, the system often overlooked my efforts due to where I came from and the school I attended. However, looking back now.., I realize that my disappointments may have been a blessing in disguise. They paved the way for initiatives like CricketPRO, tailor-made to support aspiring players like yourself.”

Best Wishes

Steven Heuvel (Creator & Founder)

Contact

Interested? Give us a call

+27 78 025 8285