• As DRC- Barcelona Shirt Sponsorship Deal Is Announced

By F. Madondo

 A shocker

In recent months, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) was in the news for giving up its mineral wealth to Trump administration in exchange for promise of security from the United States of America (US). As if that was not enough, the Kinshasa administration headed by Felix Tshisekedi has brewed another shocking, shameful, questionable shocker. Sponsoring a European football team while its own people are queuing for international donor funds to survive starvation.

The Deal

The Democratic Republic of Congo has entered into a US $46.37 million sponsorship deal with Spanish football club FC Barcelona, aiming to rebrand the conflict-affected nation as a prime tourism destination under the tagline “heart of Africa”. Under the deal Barcelona players will wear these “heart of Africa” branded shirts during training and warm-ups jerseys for both men’s and women’s teams before football matches. The logo will also appear in advertising for the club and in the club magazine and annual report. DRC will pay Barcelona between US $11,6 million and US13,3 million annually over the next four (4) seasons (years).

 Questionable Priorities: Africa’s Problem

Kinshasa says it’s a strategy to promote tourism in the DRC. But not everyone has bought this idea. Indeed, this is another African bad strategy to impress the world. Why would a mineral -rich but poor African country like DRC invest to appear on training and warm up gear of a European team? It’s not even the team’s playing jersey but a mere training & warm up gear. it’s mind-boggling. This surely should go down as a classic case of feeding rich nations while people of DRC wallow in unimaginable poverty and starvation.

 Tourism?

DRC is infamous for its corruption. No roads. No electricity. No decent basic infrastructure. Children are still learning under trees. No medication in hospitals. Malnutrition & hunger are common in many parts of DRC. And the government is forking out nearly US$47 million to invest on a training and warm-up gear for a European team! Where is the interest of the suffering citizens in this senseless move? Some will argue that the deal is a significant step in DRC’s efforts to boost its global image and attract tourists _ senseless!! Global image, whilst the image portrayed by DRC citizens is of poverty, ever caught in unending conflicts, many stuck in refugeehood. Why not start by polishing and upgrading the image of your own citizens. Attracting tourists where or for what? “War Tourism” or exactly what? The paradox is heart-breaking. The Spanish government itself, where this football club (Barcelona) is found, brands DRC unsafe to visit and discourages its citizens from visiting DRC. Also it’s questionable. Why do you promote tourism when a country isn’t safe and still at war? Something is not adding up here. Instead of solving security and economic problems, Kinshasa administration has found it wise and prudent to sponsor Barcelona. When will Africa wake up from this slumber and rebuild, rebrand this laughing stock nametag to something worthy and better?

Rwanda

The English football club Arsenal also have a similar sponsorship deal with Kigali. The deal is reported to be worth over US $10 million annually. The deal started in 2018 and is expected to last up to summer of 2025. Under the deal, Arsenal jersey features the “Visit Rwanda” logo on the left sleeve as part of their sponsorship deal with the Rwandan government. This deal also extends to other European clubs like Bayern Munich of Germany and Paris St Germain (PSG) of France.

 South Africa

Years back, there was a time when South African Department of Tourism wanted to sponsor Tottenham Hotspurs of England with millions of dollars for some such similar deal. However, this bad strategy, thank heavens, was rejected in its infancy.

Football -Politics United

A closer look at these sponsorship deals by both DRC & Rwanda unravels some disturbing similarities. Are we missing something? Rwanda has football sponsorship deals with Arsenal, PSG & Bayern Munich and is also in the business of supplying rare minerals or metals to European Union (EU). Remember the February 2024, Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between EU and Rwanda on sustainable raw materials value chains under the Global Gateway initiative. DRC has announced deal with Barcelona, with rumours of further deals with Monaco and AC Milan to follow. Just recently, DRC offered its mineral resources to US, in a deal where both leaders are to be invited to Washington DC to put pen and paper together after the recent deal signed by foreign ministers of both DRC & Rwanda in the presence of US President Donald Trump. Is there more to football sponsorship deals? We can never be certain.

Football Imperialism

This trend of African countries sponsoring flourishing, financially stable and rich European clubs is worrisome. This is a new form of imperialism, football imperialism. Rwanda is in a deal with Arsenal of England, Paris St Germain (PSG) of France, Bayern Munich of Germany. Recently, DRC has struck a deal with Barcelona of Spain. Rumours point to other upcoming deals with Monaco of France and AC Milan of Italy. Honestly speaking, who is benefiting from these deals. Is Africa or African citizens benefiting from all such arrangements? Time and again African administrations are told of the need to market themselves globally & improve tourism. Where are the interests of African citizens in these? Africa needs to tread carefully and be wary of this unfair, one-sided so called sponsorship deals. Empirical studies must be carried to ascertain whether indeed these football deals promote tourism but it won’t be surprising to find out that it’s all business talk and nothing more.

The centre-periphery theory also known as the core-periphery model, is a spatial metaphor used to describe and explain uneven development and power relationships between a more developed “centre” and a less developed “periphery” economy. This model can be applied to understand global relationships between countries of the North (developed) like Europe and countries of the South (developing) like Africa. Just like in the economic Core- Periphery relationship, the same might be extending to the football business between Europe and Africa through these so called “Tourism enhancement or Global image shaping football deals”. Africa, if this trend goes unchecked, will be sponsoring billions of dollars to European football clubs at the expense of own football business. Whilst failing or neglecting sponsoring own African football business to the amount of such millions of dollars. And in some cases failing to build own local stadia for own local football. Or having local teams, playing on threadbare shirts, even going or playing shirtless whilst sponsoring flourishing, rich European football clubs is not only questionable but heart-wrenching.

 Conclusion

With all the trouble in DRC, the government still have money to sponsor a team worth billions. A country like DRC, full of war wants tourists, it sounds crazy. That almost US$47 million money could make a huge difference if it is going to be spent on DRC’s basic education, health and road infrastructure. DRC paying such amount of money to an elite flourishing European club like Barcelona worth billions of dollars is a disastrous move when DRC citizens are poverty-stricken, war-ravaged hunger-stricken, starvation and malnutrition their daily bread. One wonders, what should start, sponsoring Barcelona or sponsoring peace in the DRC? if indeed, real tourism is to be promoted.

 F. Madondo (African Teacher) fortmada123@gmail.com