24 May 2022

Promotion of Nico United from First Division North (FDN) league to Premier League can spark some economic activities in Selebi Phikwe.

Nico’s home game will draw football lovers to the mining town.

The games will also attract those residing in the outskirts and supporters from as far as Jwaneng and Lobatse to Selebi Phikwe.

While in the town, teams and supporters will require services such as transport, food and accommodation.

When addressing Nico United, Botswana Football Association’s chief executive officer Mfolo Mfolo said football had several economic benefits.

“Football contributes a lot to employment creation. Just on match day we’ve got security personnel that we employ, the taxi industry is ferries people to and from the stadium.

We’ve got people selling food, drinks and airtime,” said Mfolo.

Mfolo said although benefiting mostly small businesses, football continued to touch many lives.

“At least at the end of the day that man or woman would put bread on the table.

That is what football brings to the ordinary man in the street,” the BFA CEO added.

Mfolo said despite the little contribution that football made to the economy, its benefits to the small businesses was significant because the business owners ‘will, at least, be able to buy school uniform for their young ones.’

A taxi operator, Modisana Serema, supported Mfolo’s statement.

He stated that with Nico’s return to the elite league after five years of FDN football, the taxi industry stood to reap the rewards during match days.

“Our regular customers, including those from outside, will require our services to get here and we will in the process make a killing on the day,” said Serema who has been in the taxi industry since 2010.

He stated that football by nature drove business.

He even cited the 2010 World Cup in South Africa where he said many businesses benefitted handsomely. Serema observed that the taxi industry struggled when Nico relegated because of the lack of top tier games that attracted multitudes to the town.

Although she hardly left the stadium with leftover food and drinks, Tshegofatso Bathapa said she expected an increased fanbase and crowd that would nudge her business in the right direction.

Mathapa started that her food vending business in 2020 had since been a constant feature in front of Sam Sono Stadium every time Nico played.

When no games were played, Bathapa sold her food in front of Brown’s club.

However, she had observed that football lovers bought from her business in good numbers and hence she wished Nico could spend more time at the premier league.ENDS