Through its marketing agency, SA Tourism, the South African government is preparing to sign a nearly R1 billion sponsorship agreement with the English Premier League football club Tottenham Hotspur.
Given the country’s energy and economic crises, as well as the crumbling sports infrastructure, news about the proposed deal has sparked controversy.
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SA Tourism presented a proposal for a three-year agreement worth £42.5 million (roughly R900 million), beginning at the start of the 2023–24 English Premier League season and concluding at the end of the 2026–27 season.
A source informed News24 that the proposal was presented and voted for at a board meeting held at 8pm on Tuesday.
According to the presentation, in return for their enormous investment, SA Tourism would receive advertising on match day, partnership announcements, branding on interview backdrops, training camps in South Africa, complimentary tickets, hospitality and media exposure to the value of £277 million, or almost R6 billion.
News24 noted that a risk was brought up at a board meeting on 27 January, regarding Tottenham potentially being relegated to a lower division during the three-year contract, a risk that was countered in the proposal with a statement claiming that this was unlikely, given the historical performance of Tottenham Hotspur, and raising this will undoubtedly bring into consideration a possible bonus payment to be made by SA Tourism should Tottenham Hotspur perform better than expected.
An article by Daily Maverick alludes to the deal being announced by Ramaphosa during his State of the Nation Address on 10 February.
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