Report: South African president’s team speak on potential £42.5m Spurs deal

Bloomberg have revealed South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed his opposition to South Africa tourism’s proposed sponsorship deal with Tottenham Hotspur.

News first broke at the start of this week that SA Tourism were preparing to agree on a sponsorship deal with Spurs to the tune of £42.5m over three years (Daily Maverick).

The sponsorship would appear on the Lilywhite shirt sleeve and represents an increase from the £10 million-per-year deal the club currently has with online car dealer, Cinch (Times).

If the deal went ahead, there were plans for South Africa to be promoted on shirts, interview backdrops, and more over the course of the agreement, including Tottenham heading to the country to hold training camps.

The publication suggested that the deal could be announced by the President of South Africa during his State of the Nation addresses on 10 February 2023.

However, the proposal has received plenty of condemnation over recent days, with a political party, ActionSA, criticising the ruling African National Congress for spending tax payer’s money recklessly, and even suggesting that the deal would enrich the party members rather than benefit the people (The Sunday Times).

On the back of the criticism, it now looks like the tourist board could back out of the deal.

Bloomberg report that even though SA Tourism confirmed on Thursday that its board had given preliminary approval to the sponsorship, the proposal has now been met with opposition from the President.

The report quotes Cyril Ramaphosa’s spokesman, Vincent Magwenya as saying about the proposal: “We do not think spending so much money in the manner that is being suggested will be justified.”

Tottenham’s kit sponsorship deal with shirt sponsors AIA was extended in 2019 on an eight-year deal until 2027, worth £320 million (Independent).

Premier League
(Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)

Spurs Web Opinion

Tottenham would be having second thoughts about the sponsorship, now that it has seemingly become a big political talking point in South Africa. The club will likely consider the negative PR that the agreement will receive in the country if it does go through.

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