The Scores Report #1 - How Bafana Bafana’s Qualification Rewards Years of Grassroots Development and Sponsorship

The Kick Off: Welcome to The Scores Report brought to you by Africa Scores and distributed by AFROBALLERS. We are excited to share this revamped version of our newsletter with you. 

Here’s the game plan for today: 

• The 3-pointer: Top 3 news in the business of sports in Africa you should know about 

• The Midfield: Sindiswa’s breakdown of how sponsors played a key role in the Bafana Bafana’s return to the World Cup 

• The Score Board: Upcoming events and job opportunities in the industry

THE 3-POINTER

⚽ CAF & Afreximbank Sign Transformative MoU

CAF and Afreximbank have entered a landmark memorandum of understanding to finance football infrastructure, competitions, and youth development across Africa. The partnership aims to unlock new capital for stadiums, clubs, and commercialization pathways within the continent’s growing sports economy. Why it matters: Afreximbank has been at the forefront of institutional financing of sports and entertainment industries. By partnering with CAF, Afreximbank enters a new playing field with the possibility to significantly shift sportswear merchandising as well as play a predominant role in supporting sports infrastructure development. 

🏸 Discover Sport × BWF Bring Badminton to African Fans

Discover Sport and the Badminton World Federation are teaming up to grow badminton’s footprint across Africa through broadcast partnerships, athlete storytelling, and community engagement programs. The collaboration includes grassroots clinics and youth tournaments designed to inspire participation in non-traditional sports. Why it matters: As media rights and fan interest diversify, this move highlights Africa’s potential as an emerging multi-sport market, beyond football and basketball.

🏙️ Yango Revives CETI Playground in Abidjan

Ivorian basketball takes a major step forward through a socially impactful initiative. ABC Fighters, in collaboration with Yango Côte d’Ivoire and the French Embassy in Côte d’Ivoire, have inaugurated the full renovation of two basketball courts at the Centre d’Enseignement Technique Industriel (CETI) in Marcory, Abidjan. Why it matters: This partnership exemplifies how a corporate partners’ social responsibility budget, especially tech companies who have a vested interested in supporting youth-focused initiatives can be leveraged to support the sports ecosystem at the grassroots level. By investing in local facilities, Yango is supporting the vision of ABC Fighters backed by Omega Sports Holding to fuel a new generation of Ivorian talent.

The Midfield with Sindiswa

ROI ON THE PITCH: BAFANA BAFANA RETURN TO THE WORLD STAGE

Hi, I'm Sindiswa! I'm excited to take over our newsletter’s center piece where I’ll dive into a recent news in African sports with a business angle. Want to pitch me a story ? Write to us at [email protected] 

South Africa’s men’s national football team, Bafana Bafana, secured a seismic breakthrough by qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, their first merit-based entry since 2002 (their 2010 berth came as hosts).
This achievement is a testament not only to on-field performance but to three interconnected pillars: strategic investment & partnerships, team culture transformation, and a revived fan ecosystem.

Strategic Investment & Commercial Partnerships

Commercial leverage and activation are now core to Bafana’s campaign architecture. The brand portfolio has expanded significantly with several key partnerships. 

Data corroborates the commercial appeal: a 2025 Novus Group analysis found that Bafana’s recent matches delivered substantial broadcast audiences (e.g., over 675 000 adults across major platforms), and sponsor exposure via team-placements and activations yielded measurable advertising value. novusgroup.co.za

The commercial ecosystem is not just broad, it is quantifiably effective. Sponsorship share-of-voice data highlights the tangible value delivered by these brands:

• Le Coq Sportif emerged as the leading brand, delivering over R3.3 million in advertising value equivalent (AVE) through logo placements, interview mentions, and product visibility.

• Other top performers included 10Bet (R1.055 million), SAA (R619,800), Freddy Hirsch (R600,185), and Southern Sun (R574,450).

• Notably, a significant portion of exposure came from clothing, interviews, and signage, ensuring that brand visibility was both highly integrated and consistent.

The exposure was also demographically rich. Novus Group found that 59% of the audience were men, 41% women, with strong representation across age groups and a dominant Black viewership (97%). Notably, 58% of viewers were from LSM 5–6 households, illustrating how the national team resonates with everyday South Africans.

Sponsorships have been strategically integrated into operational infrastructure, covering travel, logistics, analytics, hospitality, and fan activations, ensuring the commercial portfolio enhances on-field performance while delivering tangible brand value.”

Cultural Reset Drives Professionalism and Success on the Pitch

On the pitch, the appointment of Belgian coach Hugo Broos in mid-2021 marked a cultural reset. Media sources report Broos’s contract runs through to 2026, with a monthly salary of R1.5 million (USD 86,392). Broos emphasised unity, discipline and mental resilience, factors that the squad has now cited as foundational. The improved culture enabled the squad to capitalise on the better operational environment created by the commercial side. Players training in full-professional conditions, benefitting from data-analytics provided by Honor, travel logistics and camp quality, now matched a mindset that believed in results.

Bafana Bafana’s Local Talent Sparks National Pride and Packed Stadiums

Perhaps the most remarkable element of Bafana Bafana’s resurgence is that nearly the entire World Cup–qualifying squad hails from South Africa’s domestic league,  with 20 of the 23 players currently competing locally. This homegrown composition underscores the growing maturity of South Africa’s football infrastructure, where grassroots investment, local coaching, and professional systems are now producing athletes capable of performing on the world stage.

This renewed local identity has also reignited national pride seen most vividly in the stands. Just two years ago, the team struggled to fill venues. As captain Ronwen Williams said in October 2023:

“Obviously it’s not nice, we don’t enjoy playing in front of empty stadiums. It doesn’t give a good taste and we don’t get a good vibe.” The South African

Fast forward: to March 2025, a major qualifier was decided in front of a sold-out stadium. 

Why This Matters for the Sports Business Ecosystem

• Commercial viability: National-team platforms now deliver measurable ROI. Sponsorship share-of-voice data highlights this impact

• Operational backbone: Sponsorship funding now underpins world-class travel logistics, training camps, and analytics, historically limited to elite club football. By integrating commercial support into operational infrastructure, the team can optimize performance while sponsors gain a tangible role in delivering professional results.

• Brand equity & cultural narrative: When a national team qualifies after a long drought, the story resonates, creating a halo effect for sponsors, broadcasters, and the broader sport ecosystem. 

• Sustainability of momentum: Fan engagement is now measurable and repeatable. Near-capacity crowds, radio activations, grassroots programs, and gamified digital experiences create ongoing touchpoints that translate into sponsor ROI and audience growth. Qualification is a launchpad: continued performance and engagement will convert this one-off surge into durable commercial and sporting success.

Bafana Bafana’s qualification for the 2026 World Cup represents more than a sporting triumph; it marks a strategic business milestone. The synergy of a strengthened sponsorship ecosystem, a culture and performance reset under Hugo Broos, and the revival of an engaged, passionate fan base created the optimal conditions for success on and off the field. As South Africa heads into the 2026 tournament, the team is not only poised for elevated sporting performance but also positioned to deliver sustained commercial growth, maximize sponsor ROI, and reinforce brand equity across the football ecosystem.

The Score Board: Events and Jobs in the industry 

Current opportunities opening

On is hiring a Senior Specialist in Brand Communications for Africa 

Sport Impact’s next Pass’port seminar has been announced to take place on April 2026 in Abidjan. Click here for more information

Want to feature an event or a job in our newsletter ? It’s free. Write to us: [email protected] 

A Final Note

SCORE WITH US

Africa Scores is growing ! We are open to receiving more contributions and provide a platform for African voices of the sports industry. Write to us here: [email protected]

If you are a corporation and would like us to explore an opportunity to collaborate on a knowledge product, please write to us at [email protected]

Until Monday after next,