2016-11-16

There is no doubt how sport is taking over Africa and fast becoming a lucrative business for both individuals and big corporates. For some Africans it has become a source of livelihood from which they are managing to put food on the table whilst providing the continent with some entertainment.

It is on this basis that the growth and commercialization of Africa`s sports industry from being a mere source of entertainment to being recognized as a business, that Africa can use this opportunity to address unemployment which is still rearing its ugly head on the continent.

‘Africa is home to more than a billion people’, according Worldometers and two thirds of the populace is between the age of 15 and 35. The majority of them are economically inactive due to lack of employment.

The continent boasts of a large pool of raw talent drawn from various sporting disciplines. At primary and high school level almost every pupil is engaged in some sporting activity. Some carry on with their sporting activities up to university level but most pupils stop doing sports as it is largely considered not to be a career that one could embark on after finishing their studies.

Although this has stalled Africa from achieving its full potential and becoming a world sporting power house, lack of funding and support from the corporate world is also slowing the industry from playing its role in the many economies and addressing Africa`s unemployment challenges.

Up to date South Africa is a leading example of how the rest of Africa can create jobs in the sports industry and use it to deal with the high rate of unemployment. Currently South Africa has some of the best leagues which include football, rugby and cricket.

The southern African country has managed to utilize its sports industry by having a business approach and unlocking some of the benifits which include employment. Those who play in the South African league are among Africa`s richest and highest paid sporting personalities who ply their trade in Africa.

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