South African sports and entertainment agency Gerom Media has launched the continent’s first private football business network, the African Football Business Alliance (AFBA) and it will host Chambers for professional leagues, clubs, agencies, intermediaries, media and agencies, respectively.
The network will host an online community platform on which members could exchange business linkages and opportunities as well as showcase their thought leadership on football business issues, at large.
Regular network events will also be held in the different regions allowing members to engage each other on issues pertaining to their areas as well as having roundtable conversations on trends in the football business ecosystem.
According to Gerrit Davids, MD of Gerom Media Sports & Entertainment (GMSE), the network will operate independently from all other existing and formal football structures since it will primarily focus its activities on issues related to the world of football business and not involve itself with issues relevant to the administration and regulatory affairs of the beautiful game.
Davids says, “We will soon host regional meetings in all six CAF regions across Africa to engage local football stakeholders and invite them to join the network as individual members and to exploit the benefits a network like AFBA could offer them.”
“The official continental launch of AFBA will take place in November 2023 in South Africa and it will future a forum featuring a match-making programme to promote strategic and sustainable linkages between the network’s members and other international counterparts”, says Davids
The launch will also include two Awards Ceremonies, i.e; the African Football Business and Recognition Awards, respectively, to bestow awards in various categories, highlighting the work that is been done by its members in the past and at present throughout the continent.”
Further details on the regional AFBA networking events as well as the continental launch in November 2023 will be announced in due course.