Puma becomes official kit supplier to South Africa
07/06/2011
Puma will provide the official playing kit for all associated South African teams, including the national 'A', youth and women's teams.
The new shirt was launched at an event in Johannesburg by national team captain, Stephen Pienaar, along with other regular members of the team Siphiwe Tshabalala, Renielwe Letsholonyane, Kagisho Dikgacoi, Darren Keet and Katlego Mphela. The kit incorporates performance enhancing fabric with moisture wicking properties, mesh inserts on the side for improved ventilation and embossed fabric to enhance the visual appearance.
In line with Puma’s long-standing commitment to corporate social responsibilty and to Africa, all proceeds from replica home shirts sales will be donated to SOS and the Children's Fund.
Christian Voigt, senior head of global sports marketing at Puma, said: “We are delighted to enter into this new partnership with the South African Football Association. Puma has a long-standing commitment to Africa and African football, and this new relationship further underlines our continuing investment in the continent. We are proud to have added another great asset to our sports marketing portfolio, and we look forward to a long and successful relationship.”
Kirsten Nematandani, president of the South African Football Association, said: “To announce this new commercial relationship with Puma is a great privilege for us, and we are very happy to have secured this deal. Puma’s presence in African football really speaks for itself, and they were the most desirable company for us to align ourselves with. Their technical innovation and excellence is of course important, but more so is the heritage and support they have demonstrated for this continent over a number of years. They are the perfect partner as we strive to grow the profile of football in South Africa in the years to come.”
South Africa will become the twelfth African international team to be currently outfitted by Puma, joining Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Algeria, Senegal, Morocco, Togo, Burkina Faso, Malawi and Namibia.
As part of the brand’s commitment to Africa, Puma continues to support a number of grass roots and charitable initiatives across the continent. In 2010, it launched the Africa Unity kit, the official FIFA sanctioned third kit of all Puma sponsored African national football teams, with proceeds from global sales supporting biodiversity causes in Africa.
Later the same year, 10,000 durable footballs were delivered to various football projects across a number of West African countries.
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