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Participant at the 2024 SportsBiz Africa Forum in Kigali taking a selfie with the continent’s soccer greats Kaluma Bwalya of Zambia (left) and Senegalese El Hadji Diouf (right)

With the cast of international industry leaders and the depth of issues discussed at the inaugural SportsBiz Africa Forum last year, it not only demonstrated the potential to make a difference in the sports and development sectors but is already shaping up to be one of the premier annual events on the continent.

Also observed last year was how few, if any, such initiatives as the Forum exist. And yet the need for such initiatives could never be more urgent. While there are positive trends in the sports industry, there are also persistent challenges that must be addressed.

First, the good news. The sports economy in Africa looks to be rosy with a projected growth of between 5-10 percent, according to the 2025 African Sports Market Trends Report.

Digital transformation continues to be a game-changer, according to the report, with over 50 percent of respondents identifying digital advancements such as streaming platforms, fan engagement tools, and data analytics as major growth drivers.

Barriers, however, remain to investment growth, with governance issues, economic instability, and market data limitations continuing to hinder full potential.

Over 64 percent of respondents in the survey emphasise the need for resource allocation towards grassroots programs and governance reforms to build a stronger ecosystem.

The projected growth in the industry cannot be ensured if the challenges remain unaddressed. Thus, while industry trend reports must highlight the issues, it also demands constant and impactful dialogue and sharing of experiences in which every stakeholder must be involved, and which the SportsBiz Africa Forum adds an important space to address them.

The 2025 SportsBiz Africa Forum picks up from where it prologued last year emphasising the nexus between sports and business and its role in sustainable development. The key being that while sports must be played and enjoyed and the businesses reap a profit, it must also be to the benefit of all.

Consequently, the cast of important leaders in the industry included the likes of Dr Decius Hikabwa Chipande, the Coordinator and Head of the African Union Sports Council (AUSC). The Council coordinates sports activities on the continent and promotes development through sport, mirroring a core objective of SportsBiz Africa.

Other speakers, including Dr Chipande, noted how one of the important indicators of sustainable development is quality of businesses sustained and started, and the level of professional competence to grow the economy and improve lives and livelihoods.

Drawing from this, some emphasis will be placed on Masterclasses in the 2025 SportsBiz Africa Forum to nurture existing and aspiring young professionals with knowledge and skills to start and run their own businesses in the sector or gain employment with their improved competences at managerial levels.

To tutor them will be SportsBiz Africa partner, the internationally renowned and Spain-based Johan Cruyff Institute, who will conduct the Masterclasses equipping the young aspiring young professionals with knowledge and skills in strategic management, sports marketing and financial management. As potential opinion and industry leaders in the growing sports economy, the experience they will gain in addition to the managerial knowledge and skills will be vital if they are to navigate the sector’s unique complexities and oversee its expansion into a robust sports ecosystem.

It is a truism that it is in the youth that we entrust the future of the industry, and to inspire them at last year’s Forum were well-known international personalities including the inimitable former Zambian striker Kalusha Bwalya. Popularly known as “The Great Kalu” at home, he aptly fits the symbol of resilience and leadership after he reconstituted his national squad into international winners after the tragic plane crash that perished the entire Zambian national football team in 1993.

Currently serving as a standing committee member at the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) and the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Kalusha shared insights on how sports have made significant contributions to local communities through outreach, charity, and development projects. It was a service the aspiring industry leaders could emulate.

Another of the soccer icons at last year’s business forum was the Senegalese international football great El Hadji Diouf, two-time CAF African Player of the Year for 2001 and 2002. He is considered one of the most electrifying footballers of his generation. Though he had his ups and downs, he would go on to lead a glittering career with several top European clubs. He remains popular draw, a mark of his longevity as an inspiration to many, young and old. He is credited with laying the foundation and opening the way for many of his compatriots, among the most popular is the Liverpool sensation Sadio Mané in the English Premier League. The saying goes that if Diouf laid the foundation, Mané built the palace.

The business industry in Africa has not always performed optimally compared to the rest of the world, more so in the sports sector. And when sports researchers sought to understand why, an intriguing if familiar picture emerged.

The study, which involved 500 African players in the industry, found a poor understanding of sports issues, alluding to a striking lack of market awareness among businesses presumably already in the sector.

It may, therefore, not be surprising that the entrepreneurs, as reported by Africa News Agency, struggled to convince sponsors and investors to fund their projects.

The respondents, however, also lamented the lack of adequate data, including easy access to available data, saying it made it difficult to identify available business opportunities in the sports industry.

Lack of adequate training for professionals in the industry was also cited among other issues affecting the African sports ecosystem.

The findings sum up the cause for stunted growth of the sports industry, which commands a miniscule 0.5 per cent of the continent’s GDP, compared to 5 per cent it contributes to the global GDP, according to the Brookings Institute.

In highlighting the issues, the findings inevitably also suggest the neglect of a long-acknowledged importance of a crucial industry.

Recall that the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the African Union’s Agenda 2063, which inform many national development frameworks, remark the huge role sports can play in socioeconomic development.

Yet, there are currently few, if any efforts to plug the knowledge and skills deficit that the stakeholders in the study lament. Neither, by the same token, are there readily available platforms to aid networking in their pursuit for investment and business partnerships.

This is what makes the entrance of the SportsBiz Africa Forum (https://sportsbiz.africa) worth noting. The venture, a brainchild of the Rwanda Events Group, an events manager in the country’s meetings industry, aims to fill the gap by involving every stakeholder in the continent’s sports industry value chain, from the unrecognised talent and startup to the biggest global brand.

Its inaugural conference will be held in September in Kigali and is set to be an annual event.

And, inspired by the developmental aims of the SDGs and the AU Agenda 2063, the forum not only hopes to grow the industry but harness its contribution towards the continent’s socioeconomic development.

A key plank of this ambition is job creation, which is hinged on the fact that 70 per cent of Africa’s population is under age 30. The demographic remains a reservoir of all shades of talent to develop and train, while also improving the professional skills of those already working in the industry.

It is a sector that has long been ripe for plucking, and with business models to draw from of global brands and federations such as FIFA in football and professional leagues like the US National Basket Association.

Both are some of the biggest beneficiaries of African talent. But they are also some of the major international brands trying to give back with sports development initiatives on the continent—the NBA with the launch of the now thriving Basketball African League in 2019, and FIFA with the popular African Cup of Nations (AFCON).

As a measure of the organisations local economic impact, the forthcoming Kigali forum cites AFCON as an example. AFCON’s 2023 edition in Cote d’Ivoire is estimated to have created 50,000 jobs, primarily in the SME and informal sectors.

Yet perhaps the more moral example about business and giving back that participants at the SportsBiz Africa Forum might draw from is the Olympics, whose games in Paris in August reminded us more directly of the state of our sports and the promise in African countries despite their performance.

The games gave us all something to cheer about, even though only 12 African countries made the medal podium this year with a collective tally of 39 medals. It may surprise some to note that it has almost been the same countries contributing to a similar total number of the continent’s medals at every Olympiad.

Still, aside from these numbers reminding us of the unequal distribution of talent within the continent and outside it, the Olympics were never so much about the medals as being part of something bigger.

Almost every country in the world—over 200 nations, including all 54 African countries—participated in the games with the cost of each country’s participation subsidised by the International Olympics Committee, the organisers.

This could only be possible because of the business acumen of the modern Olympiad, ploughing profit from a lucrative global industry back into the games in the service of its ideal to unite the world in a celebration of humanity’s potential—the same potential acknowledged in the SDGs and Agenda 2063.

 

The article was originally published by The New Times under the headline, “How Rwandan venture aims to make sports pay for Africa’s development”

 

 

Through a collaboration agreement, Johan Cruyff Institute partners with Rwanda Events to bring its academic expertise to the Sportsbiz Africa Forum, an event aimed at promoting the sports industry in Africa

Sport is one of the fastest-growing industries in Africa. With an approximate value of $3.3 billion, this trend is expected to continue in the coming years, with key sectors such as sponsorship, sports tourism, and talent development driving growth. In this context, the Sportsbiz Africa Forum will be held on September 26 and 27, 2024, with the goal of accelerating the progress of the sports industry in Africa. Through a collaboration with Rwanda Events, the organizing company, the Johan Cruyff Institute will bring its academic expertise to this forum through a series of masterclasses. These classes will address key topics such as revenue generation in sports facilities, sports tourism, and sports sponsorship activation.

Christian Gakwaya, CEO of Rwanda Events Group, highlighted the importance of this agreement in promoting the sports industry in Africa: “Developing an economy around sports in Africa requires a qualified human resource capable of meeting the needs of the market and leading its growth. The SportsBiz Africa Forum’s masterclass program is a strategic response to this need for human resources. SportsBiz Africa Forum is partnering with the Johan Cruyff Institute, as its academic certification partner for its inaugural edition slated for September 26th to 28th 2024 in Kigali, Rwanda.”

Held in Kigali, Rwanda, the Sportsbiz Africa Forum aims to help position the sports industry by training African talent to transform the investment landscape across the continent. The event will consist of five distinct segments: Conference, Exhibition, Masterclass, Mini Tournaments, and Social Events. With the goal of boosting the African sports industry, the Forum will focus on key topics such as talent development, sports management innovation, and sports infrastructure growth. Attendees from all sectors of the sports industry are expected: club owners and executives, sports agents, tour operators, investment agencies, among others.

The four masterclasses taught by the Johan Cruyff Institute at the Sportsbiz Africa Forum will combine theoretical knowledge with practical applications in the professional field. This approach will provide attendees with valuable insights and opportunities to enhance their professional skills. The masterclasses will cover the following topics:

Revenue Generation in Sports Venues

Sports venues are crucial for generating income for teams, leagues, and the sports industry in general. This masterclass will analyze various innovative strategies and resource optimization techniques to significantly enhance the revenue streams of these venues.

Sport Tourism: Boosting Economic Impact and Growth

Sport tourism is a dynamic sector that combines the excitement of sports with the exploration of new destinations. By attracting fans, athletes, and event organizers from around the world, sport tourism generates substantial revenue and stimulates local economies. This masterclass will examine the significant contribution of sport tourism to the economy.

Sustainability in Sport

In recent years, the role of sustainable practices in the sport industry has grown significantly. Sports events, facilities, and organizations are increasingly recognizing their environmental footprint and incorporating environmentally friendly practices. This masterclass will analyze these issues and the various social and political frameworks involved in sports.

Activating Sport Sponsorship and Maximizing Returns

Sport sponsorships are a powerful tool for brands to connect with their audience and foster loyalty. However, to reap benefits, companies must strategically activate these sponsorships and ensure they maximize their return on investment. This masterclass aims to address the different types of sponsorship and techniques to maximize returns and measure their impact.

This partnership between the Johan Cruyff Institute and Rwanda Events marks a significant step towards advancing the educational and professional landscape of sport management in Africa. The Sportsbiz Africa Forum, therefore, lays the foundation for future growth and development in the sports industry across the African continent.