In recent years, African tourism boards have turned to elite European football sponsorships as part of their marketing strategies to boost international visibility and attract high-yield travellers. But are these multimillion-dollar sponsorships an effective way to market destinations or are they costly experiments that risk failure without strategic direction?
Football is the world’s most-watched sport with the English Premier League alone reaching an estimated 4.7 billion viewers across 188 countries each season. By aligning with top clubs, African destinations gain instant access to millions of potential tourists in lucrative European markets – nudging fans from awareness to booking.
Rick Taylor, CEO of The Business Tourism Company, argues that sponsorships must be part of a broader “E-strategy” – a unified, evidence-based approach that leverages events, branding and tourism development. “You can’t do it piecemeal,” Taylor explains. “It’s about creating awareness, generating interest, building desire and ultimately driving action – the AIDA principle. Sponsorships without activation, without follow-through, won’t work.”
Rwanda’s approach
Rwanda’s sponsorships began with Arsenal in 2018 at a reported £10 million (US$13.5 million) per year. The country expanded its sponsorship portfolio to Paris-St Germain (PSG) and Bayern Munich alongside grassroots football programmes.
Rwanda’s sports partnerships have gone beyond logo placement by weaving together fan engagement, youth development and on-the-ground initiatives. Clubs like Arsenal and PSG have hosted fan days and content collaborations in London and Paris that feature Rwanda, extending the country’s visibility abroad.
In Kigali, the FC Bayern Academy trains local players and coaches, nurturing talent and building long-term community ties. Additionally, visits by Arsenal players to Rwanda highlight conservation, culture and tourism, adding authenticity to the campaign and reinforcing the country’s message of sustainable growth through sport.
In terms of results, tourism revenues rebounded from US$445 million in 2022 to about US$620 million in 2023 with officials crediting football sponsorships as a key driver of brand awareness and lead generation. Rwanda’s target audiences – eco-tourists, adventure travellers, MICE delegates and families – are increasingly aware of the country as a destination.
The DRC’s approach
The DRC has followed a similar path with FC Barcelona reportedly investing €40 million (US$47 million) over four years for training-kit branding, a “House of the DRC” at Camp Nou and youth development programmes.
Whether this sponsorship delivers on its promise will depend on measurable key performance indicators (KPIs) such as arrivals, visitor spend and pipeline events. But, as Taylor emphasises, success requires “sweating the asset” – using every aspect of the club partnership to create tangible returns, not just visibility.
Tottenham Hotspur controversy
South Africa’s proposed sponsorship of Tottenham Hotspur illustrates the risks. The proposed deal collapsed due to governance challenges and political backlash. Analysts estimated that attracting an additional 50 000 high-value visitors over three years would have offset the spend.
Taylor notes that this highlights the need for political buy-in and transparency.
“These aren’t cheap investments. Politicians, citizens and other stakeholders must see what they can glean from the spend – economically, socially and politically,” he says.
A broader perspective
Football sponsorships are part of a wider trend with African countries investing in global events to reshape perceptions. South Africa’s 2010 FIFA World Cup delivered huge infrastructure upgrades, job creation and a new international image. Senegal and Rwanda have invested in Basketball Africa League arenas while Kenya, as Taylor observes, “arguably needs a hallmark event” to catalyse its tourism growth.
“Events create jobs, boost social pride and shift international perceptions,” says Taylor. “Africa is often still unfairly branded as the ‘dark continent’. Big brand sponsorships and global events can change that narrative, showing culture, cuisine and creativity.”
However, not every sponsorship yields clear results. Critics argue that spending millions on European clubs may divert resources from pressing domestic tourism needs. Without clear KPIs, the risk of failure is real.
Håvar Bauck, Founder of HotelOnline, believes sponsorships risk being little more than expensive logos on shirts without data and activation.
“Rwanda had a clear strategy with defined goals: use elite European soccer partners to move audiences from awareness to booking with KPIs on brand visibility, arrivals, visitor spend and multi-year renewals.”
Taylor adds: “Sport sponsorship must be part of a country’s broader E-strategy. Done right, it can drive awareness, interest, desire and action. Done wrong, it’s just money spent.”
