Praia, Cape Verde, August 24, 2022 – Tropics Business Summit (TBS) and The African Football Club have formed a partnership to develop the African Sports Industry using football as a catalyst for growth and development in Africa. The partnership will be sealed during the upcoming Tropics Business Summit which will be taking place in Praia, Republic of Cabo Verde, October 10-15, 2022.
Sports has not only grown beyond mere physical activity to be spectated but has developed into a major industry with significant contributions to countries’ national growth, development, and employment prospects. This partnership will look at the impact of sports with the aim to nurture African talent, and get Africans on board to lend their expertise and take the industry to another level.
During the Summit, the first Tropics Creative Industries Showcase will be held, and the agenda will be organized around 13 broad themes which will integrate all components of the creative industry sector, including panel discussions which will focus on sports. The Tropics Creative Industries Showcase will be a jointly branded initiative between Tropics Business Summit and the Government of the Republic of Cabo Verde. In the same light, The African Football Club is teaming up with the Tropics Business Summit in order to drive awareness for the upcoming event and position stakeholders of the African sports ecosystem to commit to embracing the vision of taking the African sports industry to another level – an industry that needs serious investment.
Ayotunde (‘Tunde) Adelakun, President of The TuchéSport Group and Captain of The African Football, has been involved in most aspects of football for more than 30 years. ‘Tunde is a seasoned football professional who believes that football has the propensity to change lives and serve as a tool for growth and socio-economic development. His entire life has been centered around football where some of his greatest accomplishments include his position as the Assistant Head Coach and Head of Scouting Operations for the Nigerian national football team which qualified for the 2018 World Cup in Russia and went on to win the Bronze medal at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations. He was the International Relations Coordinator for Africa for the English Football Association and the Campaign Manager for the England 2018 World Cup Bid. He was the Director of the African Football Museum at the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and a member of the CAF Media Committee. He now also serves as the Founder and President of the African Football Scouts and Coaches Association and the President of the African Football Hall of Fame. It is his experience and expertise that has spawned his involvement with TBS.
The Africa Football Club has a vast roster of sports personalities and a network of contacts in and out of the sports industry. It is hoped that the Summit can be used as a platform to attract football legends given their significant social media followings and corporate brand affiliations, all of which can increase business and investment for the benefit of the African sports industry.
“Working in collaboration with, and now in partnership with the Tropics Group of Companies further highlights our intention to develop and grow beyond the bounds of any limitation, a sports economy in Africa using football. It is truly an honour and privilege to get into this partnership and join heads and hands in an ideal that will serve the good of the continent. Our aim is to make people take notice of what Africa is all about, in a positive way; and we align with the objectives of the Tropics Group in mirroring the same objectives in the business world. Synergies is what it is all about, and we are excited at the prospects that this one offers going forward,” says Tunde Adelakun, Captain of The African Football Club.
Rachel A. Aron, Vice-Captain of The African Football Club, and seasoned Social Development and ESG Advisor says, “We at The African Football Club are truly honored to collaborate with the Tropics Group of Companies in cementing this unique partnership. We will aim to strategically contribute to growing the sports economy in Africa and to fostering synergies with positive socio-cultural and socio-economic developmental impacts.”
Both entities will cultivate synergies through sports using the Tropics Business Summit (TBS) in Cape Verde as a platform. Venicia Guinot, Executive Chair and Founder of Tropics Business Summit says, “The involvement of the African Football Club will help to drive an agenda for sports but will also align it with investment. We would like to reinforce the impact and importance of sports being an enabler for development and therefore, must align ourselves as an organization with people who have the knowledge, expertise and know-how. It is important to form synergies and take the conversation of sports to another level where it can cross over other industries using sports. TBS will develop viable and sustainable programs with The African Football Club and form a joint committee to develop a concrete sports agenda. TBS will play the role as a facilitator with the Cape Verdean Government to discuss concrete actions. The mandate of TBS is to ultimately position Africa as a top investment destination, and we want to move beyond the core business sector and investigate the impact of the sports industry and other creative industries which do not get much visibility.”
About The African Football Club
The African Football Club was established to cater for and elevate the overall interests of African football and specifically off the field. The African Football Club aims to showcase the African continent, highlight its strengths in the football game, and facilitate access to the game by many who want to identify with the African continent through football. The African Football Club has an extensive network of stakeholders across Africa, Europe, North America, and the Middle East. The African Football Club is part of New African Soccer Limited, which is based in the United Kingdom. New African Soccer Limited has developed unique projects, such as Big Circle Africa, the African Football Hall of Fame, and Pride of Africa.
About Tropic Business Summit
The Tropics Business Summit is considered one of South Africa’s most important annual events bringing together African investors and direct foreign investment. The Summit has become one of the most important investment channels in Africa and throughout the diaspora. With the support of international sponsors and partners, entirely focused on stimulating intra-African trade and bringing in investment partners focused on the African continent, the continuing financial gap between the English, French, Portuguese, Spanish, and Arabic speaking markets can be bridged.
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