Unleashing Africa's potential
for business innovation in sport
The sports industry is valued at over US$400 billion globally. In Africa only 0.5% of GDP is accounted for by the sports industry, presenting a significant economic opportunity.
Sport for development programmes across the world already demonstrate that sport has multiple benefits to marginalised and excluded people. Most of these programmes are dominated by grant funding to non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and the public sector. However, we believe that development impacts can also be addressed through the private sector:
Sport for development programmes across the world already demonstrate that sport has multiple benefits to marginalised and excluded people. Most of these programmes are dominated by grant funding to non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and the public sector. However, we believe that development impacts can also be addressed through the private sector:
- Through skilled job creation; new entrepreneurial opportunities; more local content in sporting value chains; technology innovation to enable participation and inclusivity in sport; and increased private sector investment into sport for development / sport for good programmes.
- By business models that have development impacts at their core: where excluded communities become the primary customers and/or integral parts of a company’s formal supply chains; resulting in a more level playing field for their inclusion and access to sport and in the opportunities of sport as a productive economic sector.
We believe a successful Sporting Chance Fund will, through the innovative businesses that it supports, provide new employment, self – employment and social development opportunities for predominantly poor, unemployed and underemployed youth and particularly young women.
We have developed a theory of change and an impact framework to show how this works and how it contributes to development agendas. Please get in touch if you would like to know more: we’re keen to engage with partners to refine, test and prove our model.