A proposed sponsorship of an English Premier League team worth almost R1bn by the South African Tourism has been a point of debate with many questioning the worthiness of this deal while the country battles with basic service delivery.

On Wednesday, Daily Maverick reported that the government was mulling over a three-year deal with  Tottenham Hotspur football club at a cost of R910m for advertisement of Tourism SA.

Briefing the media on Thursday, SA Tourism acting CEO Mzilikazi Themba Khumalo said there was no signed contract yet with the football club but the deal had been partially approved by the SA Tourism board. He said it was yet to get the green light.

Khumalo said the marketing deal was in the process of consultation with stakeholders, including tourism minister Lindiwe Sisulu, for approval.

He said the deal would bring in more money to the South Africa economy, saying through this deal the department would be able to persuade international tourists to travel to South Africa.

“The envisioned deal has got absolutely nothing to do with football, it has got to do with accessing the aggregated audiences that football brings. We are after the viewers of football that have the spend and willingness to travel long haul into our destination,” he said.

Khumalo said it was nothing new for SA Tourism to spend millions of rand in foreign marketing  and that it had been done in previous years.

While some people said the money should rather be used to alleviate the country’s electricity problems, water shortages and other basic service delivery hurdles, Khumalo said that  was not the department’s mandate.

He was adamant that there was nothing untoward about the marketing deal.

Sisulu said she had not been formally briefed by SA Tourism board about a marketing deal with any English football team.