Corporate South Africa has traditionally been reluctant to support individual athletes but the exception to the rule does exist.
Sprinting sensation Wayde van Niekerk is starting to cash in on his new-found fame as endorsements are flooding in.
The world 400m champion is on the cusp of greatness and should he live up to his potential, he could make a fortune out of a flourishing brand.
Van Niekerk could possibly end his year as Olympic gold medallist or even world record-holder which would unlock his earning potential as an international brand.
Telecommunications company T-Systems should be commended for sponsoring Van Niekerk, for two years investing in one of South Africa’s biggest stars.
The partnership is the company’s second large-scale sports sponsorship in South Africa after Team Shosholoza, the yacht racing team that took part in the 2007 America’s Cup.
It also revives the question over Telkoms use of global superstar Usain Bolt to market its fibre broadband instead of making use of local talent such as Wayde.
Local athletes and enthusiasts criticised Telkom’s apparent snub of local talent but the company has vowed to make a contribution to the sport in the country.
South African companies have been slow to use individual athletes as brand ambassadors and instead it is global brands that invest in local talent.
T-Systems is another example of a foreign subsidiary seeing the value of SA athletes when local companies do not. It would be an opportunity lost if local business does not capitalise on the current sprint revolution in the country that has the potential to mushroom into something that resembles the Jamaican production line.
A world or Olympic title does not necessarily translate into commercial success, which makes it even harder for aspiring champions to secure funding.
Olympic long-jump champion Greg Rutherford of Great Britain experienced first-hand how fickle sports sponsorship can be. After the London Games he was offered a reduced contract by Nike which he declined, leaving him without a sponsor.
World-class athletes have no choice but to adopt an entrepreneurial spirit if they want to make any kind of living out of the sport.
Ryk Neethling, anchor of the ‘Awesome Foursome’ at the 2004 Athens Olympics, is a fine example of how to build a brand around his dashing good looks and his world-class performances in the pool.
The same can be said of Olympic gold medallists Chad le Clos and Cameron van der Burgh who are among the country’s most marketable athletes.
Athletes often adopt an attitude of entitlement instead of leveraging their performances and marketing themselves in a positive way.
South Africa’s most decorated Olympian, Roland Schoeman, who swam the first leg in Athens, has been unable to match Neethling’s commercial success. Schoeman has been outspoken on the lack of funding and took to crowd-sourcing in his failed attempts to reach a record fifth Olympics.
Private companies can do more to support South African athletes who have the potential to become global stars like a Bolt or a Le Clos.
Van Niekerk has only scratched the surface of what he is capable of and his performances over the next year or so could yield rich dividends for whoever is willing to invest in his talents.
The need for financial backing is even more pronounced in an Olympic year that promises South Africa’s biggest medals haul since readmission.
There are many deserving talents, like Van Niekerk in athletics and in other sports such as rowing or swimming, who could do with the support of local business. – Saturday Star