Cricket South Africa (CSA) is on the brink of finalising a sponsorship deal for the Proteas men’s team that will net the organisation more than R50m.
CSA hopes to announce the deal with Indian food company Amul, which is still subject to approval by CSA’s board of directors, when the squad for the World Cup is named on September 5.
The deal is understood to be only for the duration of the World Cup, and will mark the first time the Proteas will carry a sponsor that isn’t the kitmaker on their shirts this year.
CSA has struggled to secure sponsorship in the last five years due to the economic downturn in the country, the Covid pandemic, and most importantly a multitude of administrative problems that have damaged the organisation’s reputation.
Amul is a dairy company that, according to financial statements released in April, posted turnover of more than $6bn (about R111.7bn).
The Sunday Times understands the deal with CSA is for $3m (about R55.8m) with the company’s name set to appear on the sleeve of the Proteas jersey during the World Cup. The tournament kicks off on October 5, with the Proteas playing at least nine round-robin matches across India.
Amul had previously partnered with the Proteas when the team toured India in 2019, with the company’s name appearing on the back of the jersey.
Coincidentally Amul’s last involvement with CSA led to the illegitimate firing of CSA’s then head of sales and marketing Clive Eksteen — a move that turned out to be one of the dominoes in the subsequent collapse of the organisation’s administrative core at the time.
CSA has admitted that rebuilding trust — with players, sponsors and the public — after the administrative revamp has been difficult.
Part of the changes saw the election of a new board in 2021, with more independent directors. CSA had hoped the changes — along with a more positive outlook for the sport, following a successful hosting of the SA20 earlier this year, the women’s team’s run to the T20 World Cup final and then the men’s side’s improved showings under a new coaching regime — might lead to better tidings.
But it has struggled to attract sponsors for the men’s and women’s teams, while domestic competitions, including the first professional sports league in the country for women, also remains without corporate backing.
The federation’s financial outlook for the next 12 months is reasonably good thanks to its share of the ICC broadcast revenue, which will see about R494m go into their coffers.
In addition, this summer’s hosting of India, which will include two Tests, could swell earnings by another R500m.
We’ve held a number of discussions but there’s been no signatures. We will keep trying.
— Moseki
CSA needs those funds as it still deals with its long-term debts, which include losses of over R400m announced in the last two financial years. The addition of the Professional Women’s Domestic League will further drain resources, although CSA has insisted that the tournament needs to take place to grow the women’s game locally.
CEO Pholetsi Moseki again bemoaned the difficulty CSA faced in signing a headline sponsor for the national women’s team. “It is frustrating. (The Proteas women) have had very good years of performances and, especially after the T20 World Cup, I thought everyone would come knocking,” he said.
While the Proteas’ run to the final of the T20 World Cup generated plenty of excitement with the public, CSA hasn’t seen that converted into backing from big corporates. Only financial services company Momentum remains, although it is no longer the team’s headline sponsor.
“We’ve held a number of discussions but there’s been no signatures. We will keep trying.” Moseki said
He said the announcement last week of the new women’s league had seen some renewed interest. “But as the minister (of arts, sports and culture, Zizi Kodwa) said, we need to see the private sector actually doing more in terms of backing women’s sport.”
In addition to the new women’s competition, all three domestic men’s tournaments also remain without sponsors.
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