The South African government, through its marketing agency SA Tourism, is reportedly preparing to sign a deal worth nearly R1 billion, to sponsor English Premier League team Tottenham Hotspur.
Daily Maverick reports the 36-month sponsorship is on the verge of being finalised, with Minister Lindiwe Sisulu allegedly eager to ink the deal before President Cyril Ramaphosa reshuffles his Cabinet.
The exposure SA Tourism would receive will reportedly include stadium branding and match-day advertising, among others.
Daily Maverick obtained documents, including a PowerPoint presentation stamped with the logo of SA Tourism.
The presentation reportedly specifies that the total value of the sponsorship deal between SA Tourism and Tottenham Hotspur FC would be £42.5-million over three years — which converts to R910,997,814.75 in South African currency, or just under a billion rand.
The proposed deal is set to outrage South Africans, especially in the light of the ongoing energy crisis and as the ANC is pushing for a National State of Disaster to be declared around Eskom.
I have worked in Global Sports #sponsorships for 20 years, @SATourismOnline spending 1 Billion Rand sponsoring Tottenham Hotspurs makes zero sense.
Any sponsorship asset needs to be leveraged, its not a passive process like a media buy that you leave to generate its own ROI. 1/2
— Andrew Ross (@maddog_sa) February 1, 2023
The ultimate expression of “let them eat cake” from Princess Entitlement! 🙄 No power, no water, dysfunctional public hospitals etc etc but let’s give Tottenham Hotspurs a R1bn sponsorship??!! https://t.co/I0hnFxXEvI
— Melanie Webb (@MelanieWebbSA) February 1, 2023
Follow the money – it's not about promoting tourism, so much as what kickback Tottenham Hotspurs have promised to pay her for this sponsorship. She's a South African politician – which is a synonym for corrupt, lying thief. https://t.co/Pj38fmv4TS
— Dave | ديفيد | ਡੇਵਿਡ | डेविड | דוד | 데이비드 (@TaineMcLean) February 1, 2023
This proposed SA Tourism/Brand SA Tottenham Hotspurs sponsorship deal is complete idiocy.
Lindiwe needs to take several damn seats. At best she’s been a grossly incompetent minister in this portfolio, so why the rush to do this on the eve of being sacked?
— Malome Ayob (@AyobVania) February 1, 2023
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Maverick Insider, in a newsletter to subscribers, had some choice words directed at Minister Sisulu:
There are times when the South African government is SO unbelievably stupid, SO arrogant, SO utterly callous that even we (yeah, Daily Maverick) are lost for words. But we’ll try anyway. What the actual F are you doing?
They make a good point about what tourism money should actually be spent on:
”Tourists like electricity. Demanding, we know. Imagine having the lofty ambitions of going on holiday to a country that had a consistent energy supply.
Tourists also like water. Not just fancy swimming pools but, you know, the elixir of life. The stuff you use when you want to brush your teeth. The liquid that comes from taps and that keeps us alive?
Tourists also enjoy value. They like going to restaurants and bars where they can eat great food and shake their heads at “how cheap” it all is. They like to do little calculations of how many pounds sterling or euro that same meal would cost at home. Do you know what they do then? They order another bottle of locally produced wine in celebration of their saving.
Tourists like to swim in the sea. The actual ocean. Not the sewage-infested water because load shedding has shut down the water-treatment plant again.
You want to spend R1-billion of taxpayers’ money to have the honour of sponsoring a football team? Here’s an idea, and we won’t charge you for it: GIVE THE MONEY TO ESKOM. Stop TALKING about fixing the problem by declaring a national state of disaster (also, by the way, not good for tourism!) and actually FIX. THE. BLOODY. PROBLEM.”
Enough said.
