Johannesburg – Cricket South Africa (CSA) secured a deal with the Willowton Group, through their cooking oil brand, Sunfoil, to sponsor all home Test series cricket for the next four years.
Under acting CEO Jacques Faul, CSA recently attracted financial services provider Momentum to sponsor South Africa’s ODI cricket as well as one-day domestic events, and now they have welcomed on board the Sunfoil brand.
“After watching last week’s Test between England and South Africa, and the achievements of our cricketers, Test cricket has become a very good property,” Faul said in Johannesburg on Monday.
“We are proud South Africans and Test cricket gives us that opportunity to express our pride as we have such a wonderful side.”
The sponsorship agreement covers no fewer than 18 Test matches against future tourists New Zealand, Pakistan, India, Australia, the West Indies and England.
Sunfoil came to the rescue as the title sponsor for the two-Test home series against Australia in October 2011 and then extended their deal to cover the home series against Sri Lanka at the end of last year.
As well as sponsoring the KZN Dolphins franchise, and development cricket in both KwaZulu Natal and Gauteng, they will also sponsor the domestic four-day competition, previously known as the SuperSport Series.
While the sponsorship of the series was part of the broadcasters’ wider deal with CSA, they agreed to withdraw their naming rights to the competition while remaining committed to being CSA’s production and broadcast partners.
Sales and marketing director of the Willowton Group, Shaib Moosa, said the exposure of their brand, through their cricket sponsorship last season, had propelled their brand to new heights.
“We have seen a startling turnaround in brand awareness and sales since we started sponsoring the Proteas’ matches,” Moosa said.
“It has really helped place the brand onto a national stage and generate the awareness we required to get into the hearts and minds of the South African public.” – Sapa