Betway Zambia, a prominent betting company, has inked a historic K10 million annual partnership deal to become the Official Betting Partner of the Zambian Premier League (ZPL). This groundbreaking agreement follows the recent separation of the ZPL from the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ). Betway will secure rights in the MTN Super League as part of this deal, reinforcing its position as the league’s official betting partner.
Betway’s association with the ZPL is already evident through its sponsorships of MTN Super League teams Nkana FC and Green Buffaloes. The partnership has generated excitement within the football community, with FAZ President Andrew Kamanga expressing his enthusiasm.
Kamanga remarked, “Not too long ago, the Football Association of Zambia took the bold step to de-link the premier league from the mother body. Since the de-linking, FAZ has set out to actualize this progressive step which had been procrastinating for many years. We pledged to the football community a few years ago that the de-linking of the league was one of our priority areas in revolutionizing the Zambian game. We are happy that the Zambian Premier League has hit the ground running since taking up the commercial side of business. With what we are witnessing today, we have no doubt that the future of the Zambian game is bright.”
ZPL Chairperson Kephas Katongo outlined the league’s ambitions to create a passive income stream for clubs by fostering innovation in the ZPL. He added, “This partnership will not only look at sponsoring the league but will also look at capacity building as well as monthly player and coach of the month awards. We urge all the clubs to be professional in line with the requirements of the Zambian Premier League.”
Trevis Mulenga, Chief Operations Officer of Betway Zambia, reaffirmed the company’s commitment to football development. “We will be sponsoring the MTN Super League and will be called the official betting partner of the Zambian Super League. The partnership, in itself, is an annual investment of up to K10 million. Zambian football has reached milestones. We have gone to the AFCON, and we are definitely coming back to where we belong,” said Mulenga.
He further emphasized the broader goals of the partnership, stating, “We want to see more dreams achieved through this partnership. This partnership, in itself, is not only going to support local football but it will ensure that it empowers and helps develop football to the next level. We are going to work with FAZ to ensure that not only Super League teams but everyone around the game benefits from this partnership.”
Kangwa Chileshe, Sports permanent secretary, expressed the government’s support for initiatives that promote sports growth in Zambia. “The New Dawn government stands fully behind initiatives that promote the growth of sport in Zambia. We are fully confident that our athletes will achieve new heights of excellence, and our communities will flourish. May this partnership serve as a beacon of hope and progress of sport in Zambia,” Chileshe said.
