Patrice Motsepe has transformed African football, says Caf broadcasting chief

Patrice Motsepe has left a lasting mark on African football by helping move Caf from a period of serious financial difficulty to profitability, according to the organisation’s head of TV and broadcasting, Luxolo “Lux” September.

Motsepe, who is serving his second term as Caf president, inherited an organisation that had been affected by years of maladministration. September said Caf had been almost R5bn in debt, with sponsors and broadcasters leaving, before its fortunes changed under Motsepe’s leadership.

Speaking on the 120th episode of the Arena Sports Show, September said Motsepe had been central to the organisation’s turnaround and had challenged those involved in African football to approach the game in a different way.

“Patrice Motsepe has changed football forever, whether you like it or you don’t like it,” said September.

“Those are the facts, but facts are boring. For the longest time, we knew that Afcon is exciting, but it was never really packaged in a way that is commercially attractive.”

September said Motsepe’s approach was designed to make African football more appealing to sponsors, broadcasters and supporters. He described the Caf president as demanding but said that expectation had helped drive change across the organisation.

“Motsepe forced all of us to think differently about football. He is a tough human being because he demands results and a high level of commitment. We inherited a Caf that was almost R5bn in debt, and it was in a state that was not good at all.

“Sponsors left, and there were about four or five that were left. Broadcasters ran away, but today Caf has about 25 sponsors, and TV audiences have grown from 480-million to 3.2-billion.”

According to September, the organisation’s improved financial position has also allowed it to increase investment in its competitions and wider football development.

“The cash position of Caf has moved from being in the hole to positive, and we are investing in interclub competitions. Five years ago, the winner of the Champions League got R20m, and today it is R100m.

“We are not only keeping the money to show profits, but we are investing it back into football development.”

September’s comments point to the scale of the financial and commercial change at Caf since Motsepe took charge. The organisation now has about 25 sponsors, compared with the four or five that remained during the period when sponsors and broadcasters were withdrawing.

The growth in television audiences, from 480-million to 3.2-billion, was also cited as evidence of the increased commercial reach of African football.

September made the assessment while reflecting on Motsepe’s presidency during his appearance on the Arena Sports Show. His remarks focused on the changes to Caf’s finances, sponsorship, broadcasting audience and prize money in the interclub competitions.

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