Share

Bafana get sponsorship boost

Johannesburg - Bafana Bafana's sponsors have extended their partnership for a further five years but at a greatly reduced amount.

SA Football Association (SAFA) and SA Breweries, under the Castle Lager branding, announced on Thursday in Johannesburg the renewal of their partnership until 2017, worth R150m, after their previous contract expired four months ago.

"We were always going to renew our ties with SAFA, and we are glad the sponsorship has continued for another five years," said SA Breweries head of sponsorship, Rob Fleming, at the announcement.

"We are delighted because football is the primary fashion for most consumers."

SAB has been a part of South African football for the last 55 years and has been behind Bafana since their re-admission into international sport in 1992.

However, the new deal is significantly lower than the R250m which went into SAFA's coffers over the last five-year period.

SAFA chief executive Robin Petersen elaborated by saying the latest deal did not include the sponsorship of the third division nor the incentives for international games.

"We decided on a package, and this time it doesn't include sponsorship of the Castle regional league (third division), which will be a separate deal," Peterson said.

"There are also sponsorship-based incentives that are in place as well and also we needed to make some space for two more partners to come on board."

The dizzy heights of winning the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations and qualifying for the 1998 FIFA World Cup have become a distant memory.

Bafana failed to qualify for this year's AFCON, and have had a rocky start to their 2014 Brazil World Cup aspirations.

"We have set targets as part of the deal, where there is a basic fee in the contract," Fleming said.

"And there will be additional perks should the team perform well against top teams or progress to major tournaments."

Fleming acknowledged that the television deal with the national broadcasters influenced their continued partnership with SAFA.

The football association concluded a deal with the SABC three months ago, alleviating the worry whether or not Bafana's matches would be broadcast for optimum brand exposure.

"Yes , it (television deal) was important," Fleming said.

"We had a period after it expired where it was game by game, and also we weren't too sure whether the game would be shown or not.

"Also SportFive (CAF television rights holders) are on board."

Bafana's next match is away to Brazil in September.
We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
26% - 1272 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
30% - 1470 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2240 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE