Edge Financial Group is an independent financial services company specialising in individual and group portfolio management, short-term insurance, retirement fund solutions, as well as financial and medical aid advice. The company is also the sponsor of the Edge Pro10 Bowls Tournament, which takes place during the Port Alfred Easter Festival at the Port Alfred Bowling & Croquet Club.
The Port Alfred Easter Festival has grown into a significant moment on the town’s calendar. Over one long weekend, accommodation fills up, restaurants extend their trading hours, and local businesses feel a tangible lift. Beyond the entertainment, the festival represents collaboration. Schools, clubs, sponsors and traders work together to create an experience that benefits the entire community. It brings visitors into town, showcases local facilities and reinforces Port Alfred’s reputation as a destination capable of hosting well-run, multi-day events with measurable economic impact.
As part of that broader festival program, the Edge Pro10 Easter Bowls Tournament has quickly established itself as a highlight on the sporting calendar. We caught up with Ed Gutsche to talk about the format, the sponsorship and the growth of the event.
The Edge Pro10 Easter Bowls Tournament. For those who don’t understand, what is a Pro10 event?
A Pro10 format is a mixed pairs game in which each team plays 10 ends, capped at 100 points. Due to the nature of the pairs teams, it is highly competitive
The shortened structure keeps the action moving and places a premium on focus from the first end to the last. With only two players per side, teamwork and communication are essential throughout.
What is the link between Edge and bowls?
Edge Financial Group has several staff members and their families who actively play bowls. Not only does Edge sponsor the Port Elizabeth Woods Club, but we also sponsor the Port Alfred Bowls Club. Bowls is a great sport and a team-building activity for any company, as anyone can play and enjoy it.
The alignment between sponsor and sport is therefore a natural one, built on genuine participation rather than simple branding.
R10,000 in prizes is a big deal and one of the bigger prize pools at the Port Alfred Easter Festival.
Thank you. We wish to make the tournament an event that will draw as many competitors from outside of the town as possible.
A strong prize purse elevates the competition’s status and positions the tournament as a serious drawcard within the wider Easter weekend program.
The entries were sold out in a week. A massively popular event. You’ll have to go bigger in 2027. Your thoughts?
Fantastic news. I am not, however, surprised, as not only does Port Alfred have fantastic bowls clubs, but they are also exceptionally scenic venues to play at. You are either right next to the river or against the cliffside and bushes. Finally, from my experience of both PA bowls clubs, the club organisers run very well-oiled competitions. Well done to the organisers.
The combination of location, organisation and community support has clearly created a formula that works.
From all accounts, the bowls tournament is one of the most festive events at the festival. Good people, good party, affordable drinks. What do you attribute the vibe to?
Both PA bowls clubs host several daytime and night-time tournaments during the year. They are always fun and festive. Yes, the food is great, and yes, the drinks are super cheap, it is the fantastic players and their supporters that give it so much extra gees.
That atmosphere, built over years of club culture, carries naturally into the Easter weekend.
Any thoughts about the 2026 Port Alfred Easter Festival? Any shout-outs or thanks?
Absolutely. Four years ago, this festival did not exist. This is the third year that the Royal St Andrews team has organised the event. It takes months of preparation and stress to organise and micro-manage everything from the band line-up to the surfing events and street parties. Last year and this year, though, it seems the festival is taking on a life of its own, with many local traders wanting to get involved and set up markets, food stalls, etc. It has been amazing how one small dream from Justin Bekker has grown into such a successful festival. Well done to the RSAH group, all event participants and each and every local and foreign event supporter.
As the festival continues to mature, partnerships such as this one between Edge and the local bowls community play a central role in ensuring that growth remains sustainable and beneficial for the town as a whole.
