Rwanda is not usually spoken about like one of sport’s biggest sponsors. But look at where Visit Rwanda appears and the portfolio is much larger than most realise.
Its name has been on Arsenal, Paris Saint Germain and Bayern Munich. It now also runs through Atlético Madrid, Aston Villa, the LA Clippers and the LA Rams, with branding across matchday jersey, training kits, stadiums, hospitality, coffee, academies and tourism. Beyond sponsorship, Rwanda hosts the Basketball Africa League, stages events at BK Arena and has moved into athlete partnerships through NBA player Nate Ament.
What began as one Premier League sleeve deal has become a global sports portfolio spanning football, basketball, the NFL, venues, events and youth development.
Quality over quantity
To understand why Rwanda has spent this aggressively, the starting point is the tourism product Rwanda is trying to sell. Rwanda’s model depends on attracting a smaller group of people who are willing to spend heavily. A standard international gorilla trekking permit costs 1,500 dollars per person, while citizens of the local East African Community pay roughly 500 dollars. Daily permits in Volcanoes National Park are deliberately limited to protect the gorillas, which means Rwanda cannot grow tourism revenue by selling more permits. It needs visitors who also spend on flights, luxury hotels, food, transport, national parks and other experiences.