With The African cup of Nations just hours away, car manufacturer Nissan has announced the signing of an exclusive sponsorship agreement for next two tournaments which will hosted in South Africa in 2013, and in Morocco in 2015.
With this sponsorship, Nissan will become the “Official Automotive Partner” of the tournament. The company’s involvement comes at an opportune time. Nissan have manufacturing plants in South Africa and Egypt. Nissan plan to expand its network and increase its market share across key markets in Sub Sahara Africa, to become a continental leader.Following the likes of Hyundai & Ford who sponsor the European Championship & Champions League respectively.
“Nissan’s association with the Africa Cup of Nations, which attracts a large following throughout the continent, provides a powerful platform to build our brand,” said Mike Whitfield, Managing Director of Nissan South Africa.
Elsewhere sponsors Adidas have created a new ball for the tournament, which is the fourth time the sports brand has sponsored the tournament ball. African fans got the chance to name the ball for the tournament and chose Katlego which means success in Tswana. The sports brand have released an YouTube video to celebrate the launch.
Puma are also a brand who will have a strong presence at this years tournament, as they are kit to suppliers to a 10 teams across the continent, including bookies favourite Ivory Coast and tournament hosts South Africa. The mass sponsorship marks a significant shift to football for the sports brand. The business predicts that revenue on the continent, with almost 1 billion inhabitants, will continue to grow faster than its other markets.
The tournament kicks off today with hosts South Africa facing Cape Verde who are playing in their first Cup of Nations.
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