Life could change for the better, especially for the youth of the impoverished Intabazwe, which is situated in Harrismith, Free State, after being exposed to a professional boxing tournament that will take place at Intabazwe Multipurpose Hall on December 16.

Intabazwe is perched on a hilltop a few kilometres away from Harrismith.

There is a mushrooming of informal settlements on the fringe of the highway and boxing promoter Lebo Mahoko wants to contribute in inculcating a culture of clean living by exposing that community to a live boxing tournament.

Mahoko, who is based in Bloemfontein, said his upcoming tournament is supported by Maluti-a-Phofung local municipality.

Simon Dladla and Khensamahosi Makondo will headline the bill with a 12-rounder for the vacant South African junior-middleweight title.

Dladla comes from Bethlehem, which is about 40km from the hall.

He is trained in Johannesburg by George Khosi while Makondo, from Malamulele in Giyani, is under the tutelage of trainer Alan Toweel jnr, also in Joburg.

The tournament will also coincide with celebrations of the Day of Reconciliation.

In South Africa, the Day of Reconciliation is a public holiday that was created post-1994 by SA's first nonracial and democratic government with the intention to foster reconciliation between different racial groups and aimed at promoting national unity and focusing people's attention on the shared future of South Africa.

"People will gain free entrance to our tournament," said Mahoko.

"We want them to experience live boxing and hopefully, out of that two or three young children - boys and girls - will be motivated to become boxers. I hope Dladla wins so that it becomes easier for local children to look up to him and say, 'he did it, so can we'."