THE partnership between DStv Premiership side Richards Bay and energy tycoons Phakwe Gas sent a ripple through the division after their R100 million sponsorship announcement.
As part of their plans to progress from relegation candidates every season, the Natal Rich Boyz have tapped into one of the biggest businesses in the country by getting Phakwe Group on board.
The CEO of the multifaceted group, Thabiso Tenyane, a global leader, investor and entrepreneur with over 30 years of experience in managing multibillion-rand global businesses in industries that include information and communications technology (ICT), energy, aviation and engineering, graced the unveiling of the partnership between the two entities in Richards Bay on Wednesday.
He provided detailed information on how the R100 million deal, signed for three years, would be allocated, with R20 million per season (R60 million over three years) going towards the club’s operations and a further R40 million being used to build infrastructure and training facilities.
When quizzed about his reasoning behind pumping such a large sum of money into football at this stage, he suggested that long-time servants of the game, like Orlando Pirates owner Irvin Khoza and Kaizer Chiefs head honcho Kaizer Motaung, had done their part in building the sport in the country but it was now the turn of young businessmen to take the mantle from them.
“The leadership, all the people that did well – your Bra Irvin Khoza, Bra Kaizer (Motaung) – they are now old and so a new generation of support in business needs to emerge.
“Football is the last sector that is still in black hands but if we don’t work to maintain it going forward (it will not progress).
“So (it is up to) businessmen like ourselves … I always say to people, I’m not a black business, I happen to be a black person and successfully being in business.”
The 55-year-old Tenyane also exposed his relationship with Florentino Perez, who is the president of Spanish football giants Real Madrid.
He revealed that since this is his first dive into football, he would be making regular trips to Spain to consult Perez and would be hoping for tips to not only move Richards Bay, but South African football at large, forward.
“I’m in the energy sector. People know Florentino Perez as the owner of Real Madrid. He is my partner in energy for 15 years. So there is a lot I’m going to be flying down to him to learn as to how this thing is being done,” he said.
“The value of soccer in South Africa cannot be lower compared to the Premier League (in England) or La Liga. This is the same thing. It’s the same sport. There is something we are not doing right that needs to be done right.”
He also reaffirmed that he would not take complete control of the Richards Bay boardroom.
“For me, soccer is also a business. So what I will share is my leadership and commitment in terms of resources,” he explained.
“So l’m not coming to run Richards Bay, but l’m coming to capacitate, for the chairman of Richards Bay to have all the tools and the necessary people here require for him to be a winner.”