Government courts private sector investment ahead of AFCON 2027

The government has urged the corporate sector to strategically invest in multiple commercial opportunities around the Pamoja AFCON 2027 to establish a firm foundation for a progressive sports ecosystem whose benefits will extend beyond the tournament.

The Principal Secretary (PS) in the State Department for Sports Elijah Mwangi termed AFCON 2027, co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, a one-in-a-generation event that offers massive economic opportunities for entrepreneurs, innovators, and the business community.

Speaking during the official opening of the AFCON Kenya-Tanzania-Uganda Commercial Roadshow, Kenya’s Chapter, in Nairobi, the PS stated that AFCON 2027 presented a gilt-edged opportunity for private sector stakeholders to reap massive benefits from this continental football event and other activities around the tournament.

He cited the opportunities in the transport sector through facilitating the seamless cross-border movement of people, goods, and services; the extension of banking and other financial services beyond Kenya’s borders; and enhanced brand awareness for companies dealing with merchandise.

“We are excited that this opportunity has come to Kenya. Corporate actors should not simply focus on sponsorship in the traditional sense of the word. They have the chance to develop products and services that will live beyond the AFCON event,” he said.

The meeting was attended by top Confederation of African Football (CAF) commercial gurus led by Hassan El Kamah, CAF’s Commercial Director; FKF President Hussein Mohammed, Local Organizing Committee Chair, Nicholas Musonye; CEO Tony Lung’aho; and several top managers of various blue-chip companies.

With the historic 2027 AFCON slotted to kick off in June next year, the government is accelerating the involvement of the private sector in the tournament to create a formidable sports ecosystem around the continental showpiece.

According to data from CAF, the AFCON 2025 in Morocco saw the host country earn over $2 billion from various activities around the tournament, including ticketing, merchandise sales, sponsorships, and broadcast deals.

Additionally, the tournament saw a record attendance of 1.5 million fans who attended stadiums to watch the matches, with the country reporting an influx of over 3 million visitors through activities related to AFCON 2024.

These are the numbers that the government wants the corporate actors to exploit and establish a formidable economic foundation that will outlast AFCON 2027.

The PS said that the government is continuing to create an enabling environment to support the rapid and sustainable growth of sports in Kenya. He further disclosed that the Sports Act has a provision for tax rebates for companies that incurred expenses to support sports development.

“There is a provision for tax rebates for companies that have demonstrated they supported sports development. This is provided for in law,” he said.

The Pamoja AFCON 2027 is also expected to present Kenya with an opportunity to showcase its capacity to host global events and tournaments of an international nature.

The accelerated construction of world-class stadia, efficient transport systems, and top-tier hospitality facilities are some of the key attractions expected to give Kenya a prominent standing as a worthy host for major sports activities.

CAF Commercial Director Hassan El Kamah said the joint hosting of AFCON 2027 presented Kenya’s companies with investment opportunities that extended to new markets across Africa and around the world.

He noted that data trends for recent AFCON tournaments have demonstrated phenomenal growth and predicted that the 2027 football bonanza promised to be bigger.

“This is the first AFCON being co-hosted by the three East African Nations. We need to see the commercial opportunities around it and become part of this journey,” he said.

Local Organizing Committee Chair Nicholas Musonye noted that onboarding corporate sector players would transform the AFCON 2027 from being a mere football tournament into a major commercial and investment event that will contribute heavily to national development.