SA Tourism Board Conditionally Approves Tottenham Hotspur Deal

Loading player...
Mzilikazi Themba Khumalo - South African Touism acting CEO talks about Questions have been asked about the decision to channel almost R1 billion into a single project involving the football giant.

South African Touism (SAT) says there has been a malicious leak of internal documents regarding the Tottenham Hotspur deal. 

The Daily Maverick reported on an almost R1 billion sponsorship of the football giant being considered by the tourism entity. 

Questions have been asked about the decision to channel the money into a single project

SAT said the sponsorship would yield R88 billion in international spend into the local economy. 

SAT acting CEO Mzilikazi Themba Khumalo briefed the media on the sponsorship deal on Thursday. 

He said there was no signed contract yet, but that the SAT board had conditionally approved the deal. 

“The money that is invested in tourism is not the same money for energy or potholes, there are other departments for that.  

“Our legislative mandate is about persuading international travelers to spend their money in the country,” Khumalo explained."

Khumalo said before the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, tourism was contributing 6.4% to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP). This has since dropped to 3.2%. 

He said SAT was not asking for “new money” to go into the deal, but rather that SAT would be aggregating the money that would go into their smaller projects to the deal
2 Feb 2023 1PM English South Africa Business News · Investing

Other recent episodes

Global fashion, local impact and lessons from Valentino’s business legacy

The fashion world is marking the passing of Italian designer Valentino Garavani, the founder of the Valentino fashion house and one of the architects of modern luxury. Over decades, his work became closely associated with global fashion capitals and with retailers and luxury groups that helped take haute couture into…
20 Jan 3PM 22 min

Unpacking 2026 global soft power index

South Africa has dropped two places in the 2026 Global Soft Power Index, now coming in at 43rd overall. Nzinga Qunta and Jeremy Sampson, chairman, Brand Finance Africa, take a closer look at what this ranking means for South Africa, how we stack up against regional peers, and what needs…
20 Jan 3PM 17 min

IMF forecasts resilient 2026 growth driven by AI amid easing

The International Monetary Fund again edged its 2026 global growth forecast higher on Monday as businesses and economies adapt to U.S. tariffs that have eased in recent months and a continued AI investment boom that has fueled asset wealth and expectations of productivity gains. Andre Cilliers, Currency Strategist at Treasury…
20 Jan 3PM 9 min