South Africa Tourism Ministry bid to sponsor Tottenham Hotspur
The South African government, through the tourism marketing agency, is gearing to conclude a deal worth R1-billion to sponsor English Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur, it has emerged.
According to the Daily Maverick, the proposed sponsorship partnership is in its final stages, although Minister Lindiwe Sisulu has chosen to be tight-lipped.
THE TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR PARTNERSHIP
“Executive Summary: Proposed 36-month sponsorship partnership with Tottenham Hotspur FC”, reads the first slide of a PowerPoint presentation stamped with the logo of SA Tourism.
The publication further states that: “Company Confidential, this first presentation was apparently given by SA Tourism’s acting CEO, Themba Khumalo, on 27 January.”
Daily Maverick adds that Sisulu is angling to wrap up this deal before the reported impending Cabinet reshuffle by President Cyril Ramaphosa.
In a presentation obtained by the publication, the South African government, through its tourism marketing arm, said the total of the sponsorship deal with Tottenham Hotspur will be R1 billion [£42.5 million].
The deal would run from February 2023 to June 2026, plus an option to extend with another year.
WHAT SOUTH AFRICA TOURISM WILL BENEFIT
In the presentation, it is revealed that this R1 billion investment will see South African Tourism receiving media exposure to the value of over R6 billion.
They will also benefit from stadium branding and matchday advertising. If both parties put pen to paper, the deal would be announced by President Ramaphosa on the 10th of February during the scheduled State of the Nation Address [SONA].
In the presentation, the tourism arm stresses that Tottenham Hotspur is the 8th most valuable football club in the world and that it meets South Africa’s tourism criteria as a perfect global platform.
In essence, South Africa seeks to follow in the footsteps of countries that have similar deals.
These include Abu Dhabi who sponsor Manchester City, Malta, sponsoring Manchester United, and Rwanda who sponsor Arsenal.
“If SA Tourism does not grab this opportunity, a competing DMO will!” reads the presentation.
However, it is reported that Tottenham Hotspur first asked for sponsorship from South Africa’s Tourism back in 2017, but they were turned down.
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