South African Airways (SAA), the leading carrier on the continent, has scored a brilliant home goal by clinching a sponsorship deal with Bafana Bafana, the South African Men’s Senior National Team, popularly known as Bafana Bafana.

South African Airways (SAA), the leading carrier on the continent, has scored a brilliant home goal by clinching a sponsorship deal with Bafana Bafana, the South African Men’s Senior National Team, popularly known as Bafana Bafana.

The sponsorship agreement which secures the South African national carrier as the official airline for Bafana Bafana for a period of five years, was a “brilliant goal scored to the benefit of the airline and the national soccer team, two proudly South African institutions,” said Ms Dudu Myeni, SAA Chairperson.

Also present at the signing ceremony was SAA Board member Ms Yakhe Kwinana, Mr Musa Zwane, SAA Acting CEO, SAFA President Dr Danny Jordaan, Mr Dennis Mumble SAFA CEO, Mr Mzwandile Maforvane, the Chairperson of the SAFA Commercial and Television Advisory Board, Ephraim “Shakes” Mashaba Bafana Bafana Head Coach with the full contingent of the Bafana Bafana squad in attendance. The team is currently in camp as they prepare for the upcoming match with the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon in the first leg 2017 AFCON qualifier on 26 March in Cameroon.

The agreement was signed between SAA and SAFA, at SAFA House, Nasrec, headquarters of SAFA, with the 2010 World Cup Final Stadium soccer bastion proudly standing by to oversee soccer history in the making.

“This premium partnership allows SAA to join the ranks of global corporates as a premium partner of our country’s Men’s Senior National Team and is nothing less than a hat-trick for South African Airways, as it covers the three crucial elements for partnerships in that it offers the airline commercial benefits; partner engagement and marketing platforms; and fulfils the airline’s mandate to support the country’s developmental objectives,” said Myeni.

“Many synergies exist between the two brands as both fly the national flag and warm the hearts of millions of South Africans. SAA, as the leading carrier on the continent in partnership with Bafana Bafana, the pride of the nation, shows our support for a sport which cuts across cultures. Sport has long been one of our nation’s most unifying elements.

“This partnership will further secure SAA in the hearts of all South Africans and improve top of mind brand awareness among consumers. Football is the most popular sport in the world and in South Africa more than three million active football players follow over 10,000 clubs with fanatic enthusiasm every week,” said Myeni.

The partnership provides SAA branding opportunities on the team training kit, casual wear and stadium advertising during Bafana Bafana games and all other national team squads. Over and above this, SAA will have access to national team players for specific SAA events and match tickets to Bafana Bafana home games.

“Our relationship with the national team goes way back to 1996 when we were one of the forces behind Bafana Bafana when they lifted the CAF African Nations Cup on home soil in 1996 and the triumphant calls, “Ndizani Bafana-Bafana, Ndizani” could be heard loudly in the Stadium. Our new partnership revives those fond memories and serves to illuminate the team’s success path. The hopes of reviving the fortunes of the national team with the national carrier and all South Africans fully behind them are even greater,” Myeni concluded.

“The recent successes by youth teams provide a solid foundation and augur well for Bafana Bafana future prospects in world football”.

“It is quite significant that both of these national assets will now work in partnership again to keep the flag of Brand South Africa flying high all around the world,” said Mumble.