Brands from Africa have spent more than 10 million dollars annually to sponsor an EPL (English Premier League) team since 2016. Although, the Sponsorship of the Epl Teams has always been dominated by Brands from various European Countries. The first shirt sponsorship in English football started in 1976 when Coventry City was sponsored by Talbot. Since then, The EPL sponsorship has continued to increase, giving room for various Brands around the world to sponsor an EPL team or get an EPL viewing right.
However, there are African Brands sponsoring an EPL team. here are teams in the EPL now that have sponsors from Africa. Thus, it can be said that there are some EPL Team Sponsors owned by Africans.
| BRAND/ COMPANY | EPL CLUB | AMOUNT | YEAR | |
| 1 | SportBeta | Everton | $7 Million Yearly | 2016-till Date |
| 2 | Mukuru | Crystal Palace | Over $5 Million Yearly | 2022/2023 |
| 3 | Rwanda Government | Arsenal | $10 Million yearly | 2018- till date |
| 4 | South African Government | Tottenham | Undisclosed | Undisclosed |
| 5 | Super Sport | Epl Viewing Right | Over $40 Million yearly | 1992/1993 till date |
SportPesa
SportPesa is the first African brand to sponsor an EPL team. The Betting company opened the doorway for African brands, businesses, and government to sponsor an EPL team, either a front Jersey sponsorship a sieve sponsorship, or a kits sponsorship. The Kenya Betting platform signed its first official deal with Hull City Football Club in 2016, after the team got promotion back to the Premier League in 2016. The deal was a three-year agreement worth 10 million pounds yearly. However, Hull City got relegated again in June 2017 after a 4-0 Defeat to Crystal Palace.
The Kenya Betting Company signed a new deal with Everton IN 2017. The five-year deal with Everton is to have the company’s name on Everton shirts and around the Stadium. However, after two years of being at the front of Everton Jersey, the deal was put to an end in 2020. Everton has a new commercial operations chief executive, Denise Barrett-Baxendale states that they will want different types of sponsors than a betting company. In the last game of the 2020 season, the Everton team wore a shirt that showed “Everton in the community”. A symbol to promote their community program.
Nevertheless, SportPesa had made a name for itself as an African brand becoming one of the African Brands sponsoring an EPL Team in 2016. and also the only African brand to have sponsored two EPL teams.
Mukuru
Customers of Mukuru in the UK can send money to a variety of African nations (as well as India) including Botswana, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa, Swaziland, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Mukuru is another African brand that has signed a deal to sponsor another EPL team. The South African financial company platform will be one of the sponsors of Crystal Place after signing a Sleeve deal with the team for 2022/ 2023. thus, this means the company will join the number of African Brands that have a sponsor deal with an EPL team.
Mukuru’s sponsorship deal with Crystal Palace Football Club is believed will bring about brand awareness on a global scale and reward both partners and consumers with extraordinary experiences.
Mukuru CEO Andy Jury says: “The Premier League is home to a wide range of very talented African players who have left their home country to pursue their dreams elsewhere. This inspires the Mukuru customer to continue to pursue their dreams and fills them with the belief that their journey from their home country in pursuit of a better life can result in something beautiful.”
The Deal between Mukuru and Crystal Palace in amount was undisclosed, However, the Name Mukuru will be on the team Sleeves. Thus Mukuru is part of the African brands sponsoring an EPL team.
Rwanda Government
The “Visit Rwanda” on the Arsenal Sleeve is another tremendous deal from Africa. Rwanda is Arsenal Football Club’s official Tourism Partner and its first shirt sleeve partner. The Visit Rwanda logo features on the left sleeve of all AFC teams for the duration of the exciting, three-year partnership.
The Arsenal shirt is seen 35 million times a day globally and AFC is one of the most watched teams around the world, enabling Visit Rwanda to be seen in football-loving nations around the world and helping its drive to be an even more successful tourism and investment destination. Rwanda Development Board Chief Executive Officer, Clare Akamanzi said: “We’re thrilled to be partnering with Arsenal and showcasing the vibrancy and beauty of our country. Rwanda is a country pulsing with energy, creativity, and innovation.
This is the exposure that a £ 10 million-per-year sponsorship agreement guarantees the Rwandan government with football’s wealthiest clubs to promote their tourist board’s message: ‘Visit Rwanda’.
South Africa Government
The South African Government is also another Government in Africa that is pushing to sponsor another club in the Epl. The South African government is pushing to sign a deal with Tottenham Hotspur, another EPL giant. However, the South African government is proposing a 36-month deal with the Club which will be worth over 50 million dollars. the deal is meant to boost tourists into South Africa just like it does with Rwanda. Nevertheless, there are several challenges also associated with this deal that has been pushed by the South African government due to several challenges the country is facing from power blackouts and several economic issues. The deal which is meant to help the country was leaked and the Totheham decided not to comment when asked about the deal.
SuperSport
Although the Media company is not sponsoring any team in the EPL, However, the Media Company SuperSport is the main broadcaster of the Premier League in most sub-Saharan African countries and is estimated to have paid £296 million ($381.3 million) to air games for the 2016-2019 broadcast cycle—44% more than it did for the 2013-2016 cycle. In fact, airing Premier League games alone has become a cornerstone marketing asset in the pay-TV business across Africa
The Media company signed a three-year deal in the 2019 season after it has been broadcasting the inaugural since the 1992/1993 season. However, the South African media company still has the right to Broadcast the Premier League until 2025.
Thus, As African brands continue to flourish, we can anticipate a rise in the future of African brands sponsoring English Premier League (EPL) teams. This trend highlights the global reach and recognition of African businesses, fostering greater international visibility and partnerships in the world of football.
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