By Chigozirim Bodart, Chief of Staff, United Nations Global Compact
Africa’s share of football’s riches has long been strikingly small. At the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the continent’s five teams earned just $72.5 million, less than 1% of FIFA’s $7.57 billion revenue. This year, FIFA has raised the minimum guarantee to $12.5 million per team, doubling Africa’s collective earnings to $125 million. It is progress, but still far from proportional to the scale of Africa’s contribution to the global game. The continent supplies the talent that fills Europe’s elite leagues, fuels global fan engagement, and now fields ten national teams on football’s biggest stage, yet continues to capture only a fraction of the commercial rewards.
The numbers highlight a systemic issue: Africa produces world-class talent but captures only a fraction of the commercial value it helps create.
A Talent Pipeline That Leaks Value
African footballers comprise 6% of players in Europe’s top leagues, but their impact is even greater when including the broader African diaspora. Yet, the commercial infrastructure, like the academies, media deals, data platforms, and sponsorships, is mostly owned and managed outside Africa. Many young African players move to Europe after the age of 18. Foreign academies develop them, broadcasters showcase them, and global data platforms profit from their performances.
At home, local clubs, leagues, and media rights struggle for funding. As a result, businesses and talent miss out on opportunities to grow, and profits continue to flow abroad.
But this gap also shows where there is investment potential.
Dakar 2026
The 2026 World Cup is just the start. Later this year, Dakar will host the Youth Olympic Games, the first Olympic event on African soil. This is a chance for the continent to show how it can build, host, and capitalise on a world-class event. The investments and skills developed will have value long after the games end.
Two tournaments, four months apart. Africa’s business and investment community should use both as an opportunity to take action.
From Sponsorships to Sustainable Investment
The real opportunity is in building and owning the infrastructure that generates income. There is a growing market for investing in African clubs, leagues, and training facilities. Africa must capture more of the wealth generated by its sportspeople, control how games are broadcast, and expand into areas like media, gaming, and fashion.
Africa’s sports future depends on investing in homegrown academies and training centers, so that the value of talent stays on the continent. At the same time, stronger broadcasting and digital platforms can ensure fairer deals, while sports technology and fan engagement raise professional standards. Linking football with music, fashion, and gaming will unlock the energy of Africa’s youth and turn sport into a wider cultural force.
As highlighted in the UA Insights Report released at the Global Africa Business Initiative’s (GABI) Unstoppable Africa 2025 event, Africa’s sports and creative sectors are about more than culture; they are real investment opportunities. To unlock this potential, Africa must build business infrastructure and forge partnerships that enable local talent to produce jobs, profits, and new industries. This will ensure that immense value remains at home.
The Creative Economy
Africa’s creative industries are globally competitive, but the structural inability to capture value is clear:Sub‑Saharan Africa’s recorded music revenues reached US$120 million in 2025, with South Africa accounting for 78.1% of that total; Nigeria’s Nollywood generates around US$3 billion annually, yet piracy drains an estimated US$1.5 billion each year; andAfrica’s apparel and footwear market is worth over US$70 billion, but the continent captures only 1.2–2% of global fashion revenues despite huge domestic demand. This mirrors the football case: immense talent and cultural value, but profits flow abroad. Closing the gap requires local platforms, stronger IP frameworks, and investment in homegrown companies so Africa monetizes creativity on its own terms.
The Time Is Now
The business leaders, executives, heads of state, and policymakers capable of shifting capital toward African sports infrastructure are the very audience GABI will gather at Unstoppable Africa 2026 in September. Unstoppable Africa will place Africa’s sports and creative economies as a priority on its agenda, exploring the investment gaps, potential returns, and what it would require for local organisations to develop the infrastructure that captures value where it’s created. The World Cup and Dakar 2026 serve as the backdrop. The work ahead is the focus.
