SBL factors women soccer into economic equation

What you need to know:

But, that’s only one aspect of the sponsorship-related ‘Tanzanian trinity’ beholden of the Brewer, the Football Federation and Women-in-Soccer.

On January 10 this year, Serengeti Breweries Ltd (SBL) once again hit the High Road of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). That was when the second-largest brewer in Tanzania signed an agreement with the country’s Football Federation (TFF) to sponsor the Tanzania Women’s Premier Soccer League for three years, at a cash cost of Sh450 million.

But, that’s only one aspect of the sponsorship-related ‘Tanzanian trinity’ beholden of the Brewer, the Football Federation and Women-in-Soccer.

Other aspects include – but are NOT limited to – support by the Brewer of the women’s league with “on-field and off-field signage and branding, in printed media and across digital and social media channels.”

Established in 1996, and incorporated as ‘Serengeti Breweries Limited’ in 2002, SBL is the second-largest brewer in Tanzania after Tanzania Breweries – with its assorted beverages accounting for 35 per cent of the market-share by volume. [The EastAfrican: March 3, 2017].

Less than a year ago – on May 12, 2017, for sticklers for detail – SBL first embarked on the same High CSR Road with an even bigger footprint. That was when the Brewer entered into a more-or-less similar agreement with the very same Football Federation – but that time allocating a relatively-whopping Sh2.1 billion over three years for the Men’s Premier Soccer League.

One intriguing thing here… The vast difference in the amounts of money allocated for male and female soccer leagues is arguably ample testimony of how gender inequality has been fostered in Tanzania – willingly or unwillingly. Indeed, the same thing can be said across the footballing world, where male soccer has ‘traditionally’ taken precedence every which way over female soccer.

But, no matter…

What really matters here’s that it’s taken another relatively-newcomer in the country’s private sector to stand up and be counted in the Women Soccer stakes. [But an earlier sponsor, Azam-TV, insisted on hogging the broadcasting rights…].

A bazillion businesses have the habit of shouting ‘Corporate Social Responsibility’ from the rooftops of their headquarters – but they very rarely, if ever, factor gender equality into the equation!

Indeed, they’d (for example) finance water projects ostensibly to relieve women from having to fetch water from afar.

But, such projects don’t ‘help’ women alone; everyone benefits from them, gender notwithstanding.

It’s unlike sponsoring women soccer that’s solely for female footballers! Call it ‘giving back to the female segment in Society’… Call it ‘a shot-in-the-arm’ for women soccer… Call it ‘boosting gender parity in sports…’

At the end of it all, we must give the ‘Thumbs-Up’ to SBL for going that arduous extra mile specifically for women soccer.

Indeed, apart from boosting gender parity in sports, SBL’s decision also has all the benefits that come with soccer in particular, and sports in general.

From the business/economic viewpoint, soccer has an untold impact upon economies, creating jobs, building infrastructure, boosting incomes for service providers (hospitality, transportation, manufacturing, etc.), keeping people out of mischief and criminality…

Imagine the calamity that’d befall the likes of Nike, Adidas, Puma, BWIN, Emirates, etc. – as well as national, regional and international soccer associations and related organizations – if there was no organized soccer and related activities… ye gods!

No Sir (and Madam, to be politically correct!) SBL deserves kudos for squarely factoring women soccer into the economic equation… Cheers!