Could Manchester United Football Club be seeking sponsorship from South Africa? SA Tourism has yet to comment, but an unverified video on social media begs the question.
In the video doing the rounds on various social media platforms, acting CEO of SA Tourism, Themba Khumalo, is seen opening a package supposedly sent from Manchester United Football Club to SA Tourism’s offices in Sandton, Johannesburg.
Also read: South African government pursues R1bn sponsor deal with Tottenham
The legitimacy of the video is yet to be clarified, but it depicts an excited Khumalo opening a package to reveal a Manchester United soccer jersey with sponsorship copy emblazoned on the front.
Viewers are led to believe that the football club sent Khumalo a Red Devils’ jersey printed with the words “Visit South Africa” along with his surname and the club’s revered “no 7”.
Watch:
??| BREAKING!!
A verified video confirms that #mufc sent ‘South African Tourism’ a proposal to sponsor their shirts. The package was received by their CEO, Themba Khumalo. pic.twitter.com/ZsMcz5E4Xs
— UtdChronicles (@UtdChronicIes) February 5, 2023
During the video, Khumalo can be heard saying: “1.1 billion followers worldwide, if we convert just one percent that’s 110 million [visitors to the destination]”.
“So this is a proposal from Manchester United,” he adds.
Daily Maverick, the first local publication to break the news of the Tottenham deal with SA Tourism, has at this time, not published anything regarding the video or a possible deal between SA Tourism and Manchester United.
However, a reporter for Feature Stories News, Olly Barrant, took to Twitter to claim that Manchester United did not dispute the sponsorship rumours and supported this claim with a comment from the club:
“While we don’t comment on confidential sales processes, it is not unusual for us to create mocked-up assets of this kind for prospective partners. There is never any certainty that such processes will result in sponsorship agreements.”
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Manchester United tell me:
"While we don’t comment on confidential sales processes, it is not unusual for us to create mocked-up assets of this kind for prospective partners. There is never any certainty that such processes will result in sponsorship agreements."
— Olly Barratt (@ollybarratt) February 2, 2023
While unfounded, the video is getting a lot of attention as the South African government prepares to sign a nearly R1 billion sponsorship agreement with the English Premier League football club Tottenham Hotspur.
Also read:
Three SA Tourism board members resign following Tottenham Hotspur saga
Picture and video: @UtdChronicIes / Twitter