A sponsorship deal between South Africa’s tourism agency and Tottenham Hotspur was given preliminary approval, and government officials are being consulted on its final approval.
According to Themba Khumalo, acting chief executive officer of South African Tourism, details were being discussed when they were prematurely leaked to the media. Other news websites reported that the deal could be worth about R1 billion, but he declined to comment on its details or value.
There was no comment from Tottenham, whose star players include England captain Harry Kane and French World Cup winner Hugo Lloris.
In an economy being battered by record power cuts, tourism generates about 3% of South Africa’s gross domestic product, down from 6.4% before the Covid-19 pandemic.
By 2030, the tourism agency aims to reach 21 million visitors by tapping the English team’s global fan base.
As part of that strategy, Rwanda, a sponsor of Arsenal, and Mauritius, a sponsor of Liverpool, have adopted that approach as well.
Khumalo estimates that a tie-up with Tottenham could allow South Africa to reach 661 million people.
“If you get 1% of people to travel here, that gives you an additional 6 million travellers,” he told reporters in Johannesburg on Thursday. The deal that we are looking at has nothing to do with football, it’s got to do with accessing the aggregating audiences that football brings. When you do a deal at this scale it commands the attention of the world.”
The possibility of taxpayer funds being used to sponsor a foreign football team has encountered opposition, with critics arguing that the money could be better spent tackling rampant poverty or the nation’s energy crisis.
“This envisaged deal is not asking the fiscus to introduce new money into our budget,” Khumalo said. “It makes sense commercially,” but no agreement has been signed, and it will be discussed further with the tourism minister and department and the National Treasury, he said.