Tune into a Premier League game this season, and you may notice something distinctly African about the playing team’s shirt. Several African countries have begun to sponsor squads, not just in the Premier League but beyond. So why is there a rush for African countries to be visible on soccer shirts, and what are the business advantages?
Visit Rwanda and DR Congo
Visit Rwanda is the tourism arm of the nation, and is mainly concerned with getting people to visit and spend money there. With abundant wildlife and beautiful vistas, it should be easy. To further promote the country’s tourism potential, they recently signed a deal with Atletico Madrid, where their logo will be seen on the main shirt, along with women’s training and warm-up kits. They also sponsor Arsenal and have had deals with Paris St Germain and Bayern Munich. As an example of how much these deals are worth, last season was worth around £10m.
Another country with shirt sponsorship deals is the Democratic Republic of Congo. They signed a deal with one of the world’s top teams, Barcelona, to have a “DR Congo – Heart of Africa” logo placed on kits. Reports estimate the investment at around 44 million euros, positioning DR Congo alongside other nations leveraging football sponsorships for global visibility. It has previously signed deals with AS Monaco and AC Milan.
Countries are in stiff competition from a range of companies vying for the same spots. Of these, gambling companies are the top contenders. Betano is a brand well-known for its online casino in Nigeria. This provides a range of services other than just table games, such as sportsbooks, crash gaming, and lottery. They’re acquiring shirt sponsorships across the globe, recently inking a deal with Flamengo in Brazil, as well as deals with Aston Villa and Brondby in Europe.
The Democratic Republic of Congo deal has sparked debate, with some voices suggesting that greater focus could also be placed on developing local football infrastructure and talent. In response, the government gave a detailed outline of its reasoning. The country’s Sports Minister, Didier Budimb, has said the deal will include a training camp in Spain for 50 Congolese players and 10 coaches. There will also be camps for other sports.
Broadly, the strategy aims to strengthen the country’s profile as a destination for both investment and tourism. This is not that different from what is going on with the Visit Rwanda sponsorship deal. The Rwandan government has been keen to point out that its deals have been an important part of “economic transformation” since 1994 and that the campaign has helped generate $650m in the last year alone.
With such a rich football history, African countries obviously see an affinity with big sponsorship deals in European leagues. If they also include investment in future players, like the Congo deal, then these become more valuable. It may serve as a pathway for many countries to further enhance their sporting culture in the coming years and something we see much more of.
