7 tech companies that are funding sport in Africa

Sports has inevitably grown in the African continent and the popularity of numerous top games such as soccer, rugby and cricket has attracted tech companies interested in funding sport in the form of sponsorship deals to be associated with the various teams, competitions and players.

These global and local tech brands associate themselves with regional and continental sporting competitions that command the most attention and support from fans underlining their role in the development of sports.

Here now are some of the big tech companies that funding sport in Africa:

Orange

In 2009 the Confederation of African Football (CAF) signed an eight-year agreement with French telecommunications giant Orange. The deal involved Orange being a sponsor of all major soccer competitions on the continent affiliated to CAF.

This includes the Africa Cup of Nations, the African Nations Championship, the African Youth Championship, the African Champions League, the Confederation Cup and the African Super Cup.

Nedbank

South African bank, Nedbank has played a key role in providing financial support to sports in Africa. The Nedbank Cup is South African club soccer’s major cup competition, while the Nedbank Golf Challenge is the wildly popular European Tour competition that is held at South Africa’s Sun City each year.

Airtel

Telecommunications giant Airtel sponsors soccer competitions across the continent, especially at grassroots level with the Airtel Rising Stars competition and academies.

Globacom

Globacom Limited has been a major contributor to sport and especially soccer sponsorship in Nigeria since it established operations in 2003. The multinational telco was at the forefront committing resources to support the Nigerian national teams and the local top-flight competition, which was known as the Glo Premier League for much of that time until 2016.

MTN

MTN has been a big supporter of soccer on the continent for a number of years. The South African telco has sponsored the Ghanaian top-flight while also featuring as the principal sponsor for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) before Orange took over a few tournaments back.

Recently, MTN became the major sponsor of the Springboks, the South African national rugby team, with the logo present on the front of the shirts belonging to the double-world champions.

Air Namibia

An important sponsor for the soccer’s Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA), Air Namibia is involved in sponsorship of the regional competitions in southern Africa with regards to the senior and junior versions of the tournaments.

Standard Bank

South Africa's Standard Bank has been involved in the AFCON tournament in being the official financial services provider for African soccer competitions. In addition to soccer, the pan-African bank is one of the principal sponsors of the Proteas, the South African national cricket team, which is rated as one of the best in the world.