BY SIBUSISEKILE NDLANGAMANDLA
MANZINI– Sports organisations have been challenged to stop viewing businesses as sources of sponsorship and instead build partnerships that create measurable value for both parties.
The call was made during the Eswatini International Trade Fair Sports Indaba, where Mamelodi Sundowns FC Head of Marketing and Brand Thabo Phiri urged sports bodies to present potential partners with strong business cases rather than simple funding requests.
Phiri said organisations needed to understand the business objectives of companies they approached and demonstrate how sport could help them achieve those objectives. “Your proposal must survive the room without you,” Phiri said.
He said a successful proposal should clearly identify the business problem being addressed and explain why sport was the right platform to provide a solution. Phiri’s remarks come as companies increasingly seek measurable returns from their investments in sport, making strong and sustainable partnerships important for the growth of the sector.
8BET Head of Marketing Mnqobi Tsabedze provided an example of such a long-term partnership, revealing that the company had committed to another three years of supporting the 8bet Trade Fair Cup.
Tsabedze said the company had completed three years of the partnership before deciding to extend its commitment, describing the renewal as a sign of confidence in the relationship and the value it had delivered.
Their investment in sport went beyond the scoreboard, as sport contributed to national development, created opportunities for young people, strengthened communities, supported economic activity and promoted national pride.
The Trade Fair Cup was particularly important because it brought sport, business, entertainment and communities together on one platform. This highlights an evolving sports sponsorship landscape where long-term investment can be sustained through partnerships built around shared objectives and measurable outcomes.
For sports organisations, this presents an opportunity to develop commercially attractive platforms that can secure sustained investment, while businesses can use sport to connect with consumers and communities and advance their broader objectives.
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