Last July, the South African Football Association scored one of its most important points. SAFA and 10bet have just signed a four-year partnership. Now, the international sportsbook brand is the official betting partner of South Africa’s national football team. In this article, you’ll learn everything about the partnership and how it can help national football to reach new heights.
Mutual reinforcement
The new partnership is expected to set the football scene alight. For SAFA, it means more financial support, investments in infrastructure, grassroots initiatives, and better youth development programs. So, our beloved Bafana Bafana won’t be the only ones benefiting from it, but also the future generations and national football as a whole.
It’s also an excellent deal for 10bet, now securing its place as one of the most popular sportsbooks in a continent that’s crazy about football. Every time Bafana Bafana (“The Boys” in Zulu) enters the field, 10bet’s logo will be displayed. The news sent ripples across the international sports betting market, resulting in more customers and popularity for the brand.
Sports betting in South Africa
South Africa has solid gambling laws and is quite a promising market for this industry. Online sports betting has been legal since 2003. The National Gambling Act of 2004 made unlicensed gambling platforms illegal. The Act created a safer and more transparent environment for punters.
There aren’t many regulated online sportsbooks available in the country. Yet, 10bet was already among the biggest ones before signing this game-changing partnership. This website provides the most exciting competition and odds for football and the best cricket betting odds in SA.
When the boys arrived
South African football has a turbulent story. The national team was banned from FIFA games in 1961 as a response to the infamous apartheid regime. The ban was kept until 1992, when SAFA was readmitted into international football, and the regime was defeated. During this history-defining period, only white players could join the team.
The first sanctions came from the continent when South Africa was banned from the Africa Cup of Nations in the 60s. The ban echoed loudly on the international stage. A stream of bans followed: the 1964 Olympic Games and the international cricket competition 1970, among others.
The country would still face cultural and economic sanctions for the next two decades. In 1992, when Nelson Mandela was finally freed, the country was economically and socially devastated. The 30-year hiatus surely didn’t do any favours to the development of the sport in the country considered a pariah state for decades.
When the country regained democracy and ruled out the racist regime, many things had to be reimagined and start again from scratch, professional football among them. It means that SAFA, created in 1992, is one of the youngest football federations in the world. Meanwhile, most national federations in Africa date from the early 20th century.
Growing pains
Currently, The Boys occupy an inexpressive 63rd position in FIFA’s overall ranking. In Africa, the country holds the 12th position. Amid less-than-exciting results, fans, coaches, and specialists wonder why the national team doesn’t take off. The answer could be in its foundation.
According to Tom Bryer, a development coach famous for his ability to spot innate talents, kids can start basic training at 5. Meanwhile, most juniors in the country start training much later, with ages ranging between 12 and 14. The late start on training and little time spent on the foundational phase means that most players reach their peak capacity quite late in their careers.
The partnership with 10bet is expected to bridge this gap between South African young players and the rest of the world. After all, part of the agreement deals with investments in training facilities and schools.
Looking forward
Fans of the sport have a lot to celebrate and anticipate. Now, 10bet is officially recognised as a major force in the local sports betting industry. So, fans will have new and exciting ways to engage with national competitions.
A study conducted by Variety Intelligence Platform shows that sports betting, viewership, and media coverage are closely related. The survey with CGR Global revealed that NFL fans watch more games when gambling on them. It’s easy to understand the phenomenon: if you put your money into a game, you’re likely to be more interested in the results; this is especially true for live bets.
The same study also points out that sports betting led many fans to adopt new teams due to their betting habits. Such a situation results in more viewership, pushes for better media coverage, attracting more sponsors and advertisements to the sport. So, it’s a virtuous circle benefitting fans, clubs, sponsors, and the overall quality of national football as a long-term consequence.