Do not be surprised if in the coming months you discover Kylian Mbappé, Neymar, or Angel Di Maria, Paris SG jersey on your back, taking a break with the gorillas in Rwanda or simply in ecstasy in front of the green landscapes of this country which is an integral part of Africa of the Great Lakes.
For more than a year, the Parisian club has formalized a new partnership, the first in Africa, with Rwanda.
The two entities will link their images over the next three years.
With very specific goals for each.
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12 million inhabitants in Rwanda
Establish a presence on the African continent and generate new sources of income on the Paris SG side.
With a fierce desire to always occupy a little more new territories.
For Rwanda, which has a little over 12 million inhabitants, the objective is clear: take advantage of the attractiveness of the French champions, their digital strike force (76 million fans on social networks) and its gondola heads to afford greater visibility on the international scene.
But also to seduce future foreign investors and unveil the facets of a country on the move, far from the tragic period known at the time of the Tutsi genocide in the 1990s. "Our ambition is to show the best of Rwanda," says
Le Figaro.
Clare Akamanzi, CEO of Rwanda Development Board, in particular in charge of tourism in a young country, with more than 70% under the age of 30 and today the 2nd most dynamic in Africa with an annual growth of 8.6 % but also the 2nd safest nation on the continent.
No
us chose the Paris Saint-Germain because it is more than a football club, it's a brand lifestyle and entertainment.
He is the youngest of the big European clubs and shares many fundamental values with Rwanda: ambition, vision of the world, close links with the younger generation and the pursuit of excellence
. ”
“Premium” partnership, no player transfer window target
Born of discussions started a year ago by Parisian President Nasser al-Khelaïfi, this “premium” partnership is not intended to recruit or detect future African players.
The main thing is elsewhere, first of all in terms of business.
Concretely, this agreement is visible to the general public on the shirts worn during warm-up by the players, the presence of the “Visit Rwanda” brand (already sponsor of the English club Arsenal) through the LEDs around the lawn during home matches or even the highlighting of Rwandan coffee and tea in the bays of the Parc des Princes.
Without forgetting the presence of Parisian players or club ambassadors like Youri Djorkaeff in Rwanda, or the creation of an academy in Kigali, the capital of the country.
Like those already opened across the world in recent months in the USA, Canada, Brazil, Russia, Morocco, Portugal, Egypt, Turkey, France, Germany, England, Thailand and of course in Qatar.
“We are convinced that Africa can be a source of income for the club, argued last December in
Figaro
Marc Armstrong, director of sponsorship of Paris SG.
The partnership with Rwanda will allow us to solidify our presence on the continent. ”
An agreement between 8 and 10 million euros
The former NBA vice-president for Europe, emerging markets and the Middle East, who arrived in Paris in 2018 to accelerate the club's sponsorship process, says a little more about the Parisian strategy with this partnership which is in line with those signed with Renault, Deliveroo QNB, Ooredoo and QTA.
According to our information, the amount of this new agreement would be between 8 and 10 million euros, like Arsenal's collaboration with Rwanda.
“PSG is a strong and increasingly powerful brand in Africa.
We can be a bridge for many African companies or for global brands that would like to invest in Africa.
Today, by joining forces with Rwanda, PSG is joining forces with an avant-garde and innovative country, with which it will revolutionize partnerships in the world of sport. "
If we assure Paris that no other partnership will be signed in the coming months, the medium term suggests the opposite.
With inevitably positive and lucrative consequences.
"We do not set ourselves any minimum or maximum objective in terms of the number of partners," Marc Armstrong conceded to us on this agreement.
Paris Saint-Germain, through its prestige, its exposure, the attractiveness of its brand and of the city of Paris, is today solicited by many partners who wish to be associated with its image. ”
New sources of income
In its quest to become one of the biggest brands in the world, while unearthing new substantial sources of income with a view in particular to financial fair play, the Porte d'Auteuil club continues to advance.
Like the recent XXL contracts tied with Nike and Accor, two of the most important in the history of Paris SG, estimated at around 75 million euros per year with the American brand and between 50 and 70 million € with the French champion of the hotel industry.
True to its slogan "Dream Bigger", fully in line with sponsorship ambitions.
In the field, it is now up to the players to reach the same level of excellence.
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