Mukuru to sponsor The Beast, Crystal Palace
AFRICAN financial services company, Mukuru, have announced a couple of sports sponsorship deals aimed at boosting brand awareness while demonstrating the company’s commitment to excellence and its recognition of Africa’s rising global stature in both fintech and sport.
Mukuru will be a shirt sleeve sponsor of English Premier League footbal side Crystal Palace for the 2022/23 season, while it simultaneously struck a naming rights deal for the top Malawian Super League soccer side, The Mighty Wanderers FC, and a sponsorship arrangement with Zimbabwe-born South African rugby legend Tendai “The Beast” Mtawarira.
Mukuru, a next generation financial services platform and one of the largest money transfer providers in Africa, will become Crystal Palace’s official sleeve sponsor for the 2022/23 season.
The English Premier League is one of the most-watched football leagues in the world, with a massive following across Africa and the African diaspora.
“The English Premier League is home to a wide range of very talented African players who have left their home country to pursue their dreams elsewhere. This inspires the Mukuru customer to continue pursuing their dreams and fills them with the belief that their journey from their home country to pursue a better life can result in something beautiful.” says Mukuru CEO Andy Jury in a statement.
Jury said the presence of several African players and a coach with African heritage connects Crystal Palace more with Africa.
“A team with several African players and an iconic coach with strong African heritage in Patrick Vieira who our Mukuru customers look up to and resonate with,” said Jury.
“We are excited to be associated with Crystal Palace, a well-respected and prestigious English Premier League team. The sponsorship places Mukuru on an international stage, further entrenching our global presence, operating in over 50 countries around the world.
“Soccer is the most supported sport on the African continent, uniting people globally, and our customers identified Crystal Palace as one of the teams they support.”
Barry Webber, Commercial Director of Crystal Palace, said they hope to increase their fan base in Africa through the partnership with Mukuru.
“This is a really exciting partnership for Crystal Palace, and we’re thrilled to welcome Mukuru on board. As a club, we are incredibly proud of our links with the African continent, which were encapsulated by midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate winning the African Cup of Nations earlier this year.
This partnership will help us to continue to expand our international fanbase, and Mukuru join us at a fantastically exciting time for the club, both on the pitch and off of it,” said Webber.
Palace’s squad boasts several key players who represent African countries, including Wilfred Zaha, Jordan Ayew, Jeff Schlupp, and African Cup of Nations winner Kouyate.
Beyond the Crystal Palace deal, Mukuru wanted to demonstrate that even though the English Premier League represents the pinnacle of football achievement, local leagues on the African continent are also home to incredibly passionate and proud players and fans.
“We are excited to have struck a deal, in consultation with the Football Association of Malawi, with one of Malawi’s top Super League teams, the Mighty Wanderers, and with the naming rights, they will be called the Mighty Mukuru Wanderers,” Jury’s statement continues.
Outside of football, sports of all types are important to Africans, and sport is often seen as a stepping stone to a better future, this leads to a sponsorship arrangement with Zimbabwe-born Springbok legend Mtawarira.
“Mukuru started in my homeland in Zimbabwe and what this brand does is amazing in the way it connects Africans all around the globe, giving them the ability to provide for their families back home. I remember a certain time when I was trying to provide for my mom and family back home in Zim and Mukuru is that solution, made it easy to send money back home. Another thing that I love about the Mukuru brand is that it has a Pan-African approach, as I identify as a Pan-Africanist at heart myself. This brand is truly something special” says Mtawarira.
“The Beast, as he is affectionately known around the world, is a hero figure and role model of unity, power, and commitment, all underpinned by sporting excellence,” Jury added. Mukuru was formed in 2004 by Rob Burrell — the United Kingdom-based Zimbabwean national, as a simple platform that allowed people in London to buy an international talk time voucher, confirmed by text message; to connect with their families in Zimbabwe which were not possible at the time to dial into or out of Zimbabwe. Mukuru then grew into an intra Africa and international remittance company it is today.
Mukuru has more than 10 million customers, and has completed more than 100 million transactions since inception in 2004. In addition to offering International Money Transfers, Mukuru also helps its customers around the world to address their broader financial needs. — Agencies/https:www. cpfc.co.uk.