English Premier League football club Tottenham Hotspur is set to gain a new sponsor – the South African tourist board or SAT, in a deal worth a reported €53 million (R1 billion).
The deal, not yet confirmed but leaked a few days ago, comes as part of South Africa’s ambition to turn its economy around and attract 21 million visitors by 2030.
[WATCH] “Money that is invested in tourism is not the same money that’s required for energy; it’s not the same amount of money that’s required for potholes,” says Tourism SA Acting CEO Themba Khumalo about the Tottenham Hotspur sponsorship deal. pic.twitter.com/1zj5dkztbO
— Newzroom Afrika (@Newzroom405) February 2, 2023
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is under pressure to declare a national disaster due to ongoing power blackouts devastating the country. The incidents, called “loadshedding” by locals, are contributing to food insecurity, driving up prices, and placing an even greater strain on stretched household budgets.
SAT’s acting chief executive officer Themba Khumalo told reporters on Thursday: “This is not about football.”
We are accessing the audience in the British Premier League. We are accessing it so that we can persuade them to travel to South Africa, spend pounds, euros, dollars, yen in our destination, and bring dignity back to our people.
Themba Khumalo, SAT’s acting chief executive officer
The British market represents 8.3% of all international arrivals to South Africa – with over 430 000 British tourists visiting South Africa in 2019 alone.
As well as increasing visibility among UK travellers, sponsoring the hugely popular Premier League could bring a further billion eyeballs to South Africa’s marketing campaign, which is likely to include training camps in South Africa, kit branding, match-day advertising, partnership announcements, complimentary tickets, and stadium hospitality.
The club is yet to comment on the deal which is causing some controversy in South Africa. Mmusi Maimane, veteran opposition leader of Build One South Africa questioned the strategy, which follows in the footsteps of Rwanda’s sponsorship of Arsenal in 2021.
“What are the deterrents to tourism?” Maimane tweeted at the weekend. “Crime. Corruption. Load shedding. Polluted beaches. Rwanda did not just sponsor Arsenal. They made sure that Kigali was safe, clean and working.”
What are the deterrents to tourism?
— Mmusi Maimane (@MmusiMaimane) February 3, 2023
Crime. Corruption. Load shedding. Polluted beaches.
Rwanda did not just sponsor Arsenal. They made sure that Kigali was safe, clean and working.
The Democratic Alliance agreed, calling the plan “a slap in the face of every South African whose hard-earned tax will be used to sponsor a first-world football team.”
The potential deal still needs to go through consultation and gain approval. The leak places strain on that process, but the SAT is pushing ahead.
“We cannot carry on with business as usual, because it will not yield the desired results. This is why we are contemplating a partnership of this scale with Tottenham Hotspurs FC, to really help us shift the dial in our tourist arrivals,” Khumalo said.
