07 February 2020 – The African continent must and surely will emerge as the winner of the upcoming WFS Africa, the first-ever African edition of what is the biggest event in the global football industry. That’s the bottom line of the message that Jan Alessie, Director of WFS, delivered during a networking breakfast held on Thursday, 6 February 2020 at The Terrace West 140, Sandton, Johannesburg.
— The first ever World Football Summit Africa, to be held in Durban on March 17-18, will gather more than 1,000 delegates and will bring together over 80 global and regional industry leaders.
— Jan Alessie, Director of WFS, is confident that the event will boost the continent’s extraordinary potential to become a global football hub.
The initiative, officially launched at Durban’s iconic Moses Mabhida Stadium on Tuesday (4 January 2020), will bring together leaders of the sport from across the globe, Presidents and CEOs of clubs, leagues, federations, broadcasters and other stakeholders under one roof from 17-18 March. It will not only turn South Africa’s sporting Mecca into a global football capital, but will change the face of African football on the playing field and business side of the sport.
“We are confident that our platform will play a key role in boosting the continent’s extraordinary potential. The most important leaders across the globe will have the chance to witness to what extent Africa, despite its challenges, is a land of opportunities”, said Alessie, who encouraged the different players of the South African football landscape to become a part of the event in order to “show the world the uniqueness of Africa and the Ubuntu spirit of South Africa.”
“WFS Africa will become the catalyst and driver of future projects. It is proven that WFS events bring business and development to the communities,” stressed Marcos Pelegrin, Managing Director of LaLiga for South Africa.
Spain’s football league is a long-time Global Partner to WFS.
The summit, which is “here to stay”, according to Alessie, is expected to gather over 1,000 delegates at the Durban ICC and will see around 80 global and regional leaders robustly debate issues around turning football into a serious business venture and creating a sustainable legacy for the continent.
The speaker lineup features key decision-makers such as FIFA Secretary General Fatma Samoura, LaLiga President Javier Tebas, Argentina legend Juan Sebastián Verón, who currently serves as Chairman of his home-club Estudiantes La Plata, SAFA President Danny Jordaan, Isha Johansen, President of the Sierra Leone Football Federation, or Morné du Plessis, Chairman of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation South Africa.
Facebook, YouTube, DAZN, World League Forums, Olympique de Marseille or Sevilla FC are among the global brands, organizations and clubs that will also take part in this event that has the province of KwaZulu-Natal as the Main Partner.
Speakers will come together around common challenges such as the need to create sustainable value for sponsoring brands, how to face digital transformation, evolving competition formats or developing youth talent, among others. With FIFA having undertaken to plough millions into African football, WFS Africa will also discuss ways to maximise the financial grants to help grow the game in Africa.
Ultimately, all discussions will be focused on how football can remain, not only the number one sport on the continent, but also the biggest generator of income within their space and how this can act as a catalyst to drive social development, with non-profits like Common Goal, WhizzKids United or Malaika sharing experiences on how football can help change lives.
World Football Summit: WHERE THE FOOTBALL INDUSTRY MEETS
World Football Summit is a leading international event organizer with a focus on the football industry. Football is the greatest generator of content in the world and the number 1 sport in terms of viewership. Around the game, a global industry has emerged over the last years creating a sector that is growing at double digits. WFS events provide a platform and a voice for all stakeholders involved, allowing them to meet, discuss, promote and generate business opportunities. WFS Africa, which has the KwaZulu-Natal Province as main partner, is the latest summit to be included in the WFS Series, which includes events in Madrid (Spain) and Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia). WFS also hosts the Football Innovation Forum, an event organized in collaboration with UEFA on the eve of the Champions League final.
For more information:
Paco Roche
+34 666 98 55 56
Dominic Chimhavi
+27 71 332 9886