How Tanzania can reap big through Afcon

On Wednesday, Confederation of African Football (CAF) President Patrice Motsepe announced that Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda had won the right to jointly host the 2027 tournament.

Analysts say that, from an economic point of view, the tournament could be a major stimulant of economic growth in Tanzania.

“It is going to open up opportunities in the tourism, trade, and transport sectors,” said Prof Abel Kinyondo.

According to the director of sports development in the Ministry of Culture, Arts, and Sports, Mr Ally Mayay, Tanzania fronted Benjamin William Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam, Amaan Stadium in Zanzibar, and a new stadium to be built in Arusha as venues for the tournament.

Construction of the new Arusha Stadium, which will accommodate 30,000 people, is scheduled to start early next year.

“Its architectural designs are ready, and it will be built within 18 months,” he said.

According to Prof Kinyondo, however, Tanzania will only realise the benefits of hosting the tournaments if it puts in place the right strategies.

“Poorly utilised, the event could result in catastrophic economic outcomes because hosting the event requires massive investments in infrastructure. We need to have the right plans and priorities,” he said.

According to Mr Mayay, thousands of indirect jobs will be created in the construction and rehabilitation of facilities that will host the event.

“Those coming to watch the tournament will need people to guide them as they move around Tanzania. Hotels will benefit massively through the rise in the number of people who will be accommodated in the facilities.”

On that note, Prof Kinyondo said the focus now should be on increasing the number of five-star hotels, restaurants and building transport networks that will enable visitors to visit some of Tanzania's major tourist attractions, such as the Serengeti, Ngorongoro, and Mikumi, among others.

“Spectators, players, and officials should be viewed as tourists. If well served, they will return one day… The relevant bodies in tourism, trade, immigration, and the Police Force must have the strategies right and ensure that these people get the best service while in Tanzania,” he said.

According to the deputy commissioner for conservation at the Tanzania National Parks Authority, Mr Batiho Herman, after learning that Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda will host the 2027 Afcon finals, they will come up with a strategy that will ensure that visitors coming into the country will also have an opportunity to visit its tourist attractions.

Land Transport Regulatory Authority (Latra) director general Habibu Saluo said Latra will work with owners of modern transport facilities, including buses, and the government, which is currently building the standard gauge railway, to ensure that visitors get the best transport services while in Tanzania.

Information, Communication and ICT deputy minister Mathew Kundo shared similar sentiments, noting that the government will also ensure that it rolls out quality communication services across the country for use by Tanzanians and visitors alike.

“We will remove all obstacles so that it becomes easier for people to communicate while travelling and in public places,” he said.

He said the ministry is currently working on a strategy to ensure that all of Tanzania’s 139 districts are connected to the national ICT backbone by the end of 2025.

By that time, Mr Kundo added, all major cities in Tanzania, including Dar es Salaam, Dodoma, Arusha, Mwanza, and Mbeya, will be covered by 5G technology.

Hotel Association of Tanzania (HAT) chief executive Kennedy Edward said the tournament is an opportunity for Tanzania to grow its economy, adding that the country has enough accommodation facilities, including five-star hotels, to accommodate all visitors.

He, however, cautioned hotel owners to assess themselves and eliminate shortfalls that could be a challenge to guests.

Football fans will make payments when procuring commodities and services, which will not only increase revenue in Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda but also improve the amount of forex reserves in those countries.

Available data shows that Cameroon earned $200 million (Sh480 billion), which was direct revenue collected from football fans who visited the country to support their national teams as well as tourism during the 2021 tournament.

Based on the experience, Mr Edward said there is a possibility for Tanzania to garner Sh160 billion in gate collections.

Egypt hosted the 2019 African Cup of Nations (Afcon) and earned $89 million (Sh213.6 billion) from direct payments made by soccer fans who entered the country to support national teams on different services, available data shows.