I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it’s been rumoured that Safa Cape Town’s multi-million-rand apparel sponsorship deal with the Dutch brand Masita is no more.
When No Bones with Bones tried to confirm this with Safa Cape Town’s General Secretary, Reyaad Joseph, he was very reluctant to engage or say anything on this matter.
The sponsorship, valued at over R800,000.00 (EUR 40,000) annually over four years, was apparently “not only going to enhance the sporting experience for players but also bring Masita’s high-quality sportswear and products closer to the South African audience.”
The region’s president, Bennett Bailey, barked these words when the deal was officially concluded during a Safa Cape Town Management Committee meeting where the brand was represented via video conference and an opportunity was created for further appreciation and comment from both sides.
Bailey created the perception that the football public should have renewed hope and be optimistic about the deal, especially the various 35 LFA’s who are all bleeding financially, when he further divulged: “The sponsorship came at the right time. The time when we look at how best to rebrand our competitions to speak to the needs of our constituency. Masita takes us into this new journey of rebranding our competitions,” he concluded.
Part of the agreement was that Safa CT had to set up shop to promote the Masita brand amongst the local football and broader public, as that was the vision of the Managing Director, Vivek Kohli, who said: “I am extremely delighted and excited to be on this deal and South Africa has a great place for me personally in my heart. We want to grow together with Safa Cape Town and bring glory to our company and to South Africa and to the African continent. Through this, we’ll grow together,” Kohli concluded.
It was expected that clubs affiliated to the region would have been subsidised when purchasing apparel and equipment and this in turn would help grow the Masita brand. There were additional plans in the pipeline, such as setting up an academy, which was the long-term objective.
The reality is that Safa CT could not get this off the ground, and neither did any of the LFA’s or clubs’ benefit from it. The only one sporting the Masita brand was the Safa Cape Town members and that should not have been the case, but this is how one of the biggest sporting organisations, with probably 250 000 registered members, chooses to conduct its business.
Given this, one should not be surprised at yet another scandalous flop as the region itself still has no official home of its own and still operates out of a ‘garage’, as Bailey himself refers to the office at the Rygate Sportsfield in Athlone.
The bottom line is Safa CT butchered a golden opportunity, one year into a four-year partnership.
Furthermore, they spent in the region of R300 000 on the launch of the event which was held at the Garden Court Holiday Inn last year – and it appears it is now money wasted. Could these funds not have been spent more responsibly?
They say, you’re judged by your last innings, well, Safa CT, then that clearly indicates that you have failed dismally – and just as one wants others to be held accountable for their actions, so, too, should one be able to be held accountable for one’s actions as well!
