Southern African Region urged to unite in attracting investment in sport
The southern African region needs to unite to attract investment in sport through hosting major events such as competitions, conferences and symposiums, an official said Thursday at the African Union Sports Council (AUSC) Region 5 executive committee in Swakopmund.
The meeting attended by all the AUSC Region 5 member states that include Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe, commenced on Tuesday and will conclude on Sunday.
Namibia and Botswana have joined hands to present a joint bid to host the 2027 Football Africa Cup of Nations, the Minister of Sport, Youth and National Services, Agnes Tjongarero said in a statement at the official opening of the event.
“We plead your indulgence to use your networks in mobilising support for this bid as it brings development to our region. We must jealously protect our sporting industry and guard against allowing conflict, hooliganism and other unethical practices to destroy the years of investment in the credibility of our sport,” she added.
Tjongarero said taking into consideration the estimated 1.4% GDP fall of African economies by expert analysis, the sporting industry must be ingenious and creative in diversifying revenue sources as governments will be preoccupied with the production of basic immediate necessities to improve and sustain people’s livelihoods.
“Therefore, focus on the fundamentals of sports development and sports for development given the social outcomes of health, economic, education and tourism benefits of sport,” she said.
The AUSC Region 5 is the regional arm of the African Union Sport Council which promotes the aims of the African Union Sport Council. The AUSC Region 5 is one of the five African Union Sports Development regions.
