BIRTHDAY BOY MAGWIZI HIGHLIGHTS PILLARS OF HIS ZIFA MASTERPLAN

Sports Reporter

NQOBILE Magwizi turns 46 today and the business executive, who wants to be the ZIFA president, has highlighted the pillars which will support his transformation of the association.

The first step would be to build a strong foundation.

“A successful football association begins with strong governance, efficient structures, and effective leadership while establishing a recognisable and respected football brand,” he said on his social media platforms.

The next step would be to build strong partnerships.

“Strategic partnerships enhance operational capacity, technical expertise, and financial sustainability,” he said.

The third step would be commercialisation.

“A sustainable financial model ensures football can grow and thrive,” he said.

Magwizi also revealed that he has been exploring 101 monetisable aspects of football.

“As an aspiring candidate for ZIFA president I have been exploring 101 monetisable aspects of the beautiful game of football and keen to explore workshops to capacitate our constituents like the football teams and also the National Team Business Development around a number of key areas.

These are match day revenue, ticket sales (home and away), hospitality packages (VIP, Corporate Boxes), merchandise sales (jerseys, carves, souvenirs), food and beverage sales (concessions, bars), parking fees, sponsorship boards at stadiums, naming rights for stadium, advertising on LED Boards, programme sales, broadcasting rights, domestic TV deals and international TV deals.

The key areas also include streaming platforms (club channels, OTT), highlight packages, behind-the-scenes content, sponsorship and partnerships, kit sponsorship (shirt, shorts, socks), sleeve sponsors, training kit sponsors, stadium naming rights, official partners (car manufacturers, telecoms, banks), sleeve patch sponsors, back-of-shirt sponsors, training ground naming rights, community partnerships and charity partnerships.

Other key areas are travel and accommodation sponsors, equipment sponsors (boots, balls, etc), food and beverage partners, technology partners (data analytics, AI), gaming partners (E-sports, Virtual Teams), fan engagement platforms, merchandise and retail partners, social media partners, content creation partners, hospitality partners, financial services partners, legal and advisory services partners, travel and tourism partners and real estate partners.

Magwizi also listed education partners, healthcare partners, entertainment partners, lifestyle partners, sustainability partners, diversity and inclusion partners, fan engagement platforms, E-sports and gaming partners, virtual teams and experiences, NFT and cryptocurrency partnerships, metaverse and virtual reality experiences, music and entertainment partnerships, fashion and lifestyle collaborations and celebrity endorsements as part of the key areas.

The others are influencer marketing, co-branded products and services, joint promotions and campaigns, experiential marketing, loyalty programmes and rewards, data licensing and analytics, licensing and merchandising, brand licensing, intellectual property rights, player image rights, club logo and branding, stadium and training ground tours, museum and archives, fan events and festivals, player appearances and meet-and-greets, youth academy and development, player recruitment and transfers, player development and training and scouting and talent identification.

Performance Analysis & Data Science, sports science and medicine, coaching and management, staff salaries and benefits, stadium maintenance and upgrades, training ground facilities, travel and accommodation, legal and administrative costs, insurance and risk management, marketing and communications, social media and digital marketing, content creation and distribution, fan engagement and community relations, ticketing and hospitality services, merchandise and retail operations, sponsorship sales and management and broadcasting and media relations are the other key areas.