Cell C is to become the Sharks’ new title sponsor in a three-year deal, effective from 1 January 2014.
This sponsorship will see the Cell C brand carried on the playing kit of The Sharks professional teams, The KwaZulu-Natal amateur and schools teams as well as The Sharks Academy.
The title sponsor has also acquired naming rights for The Sharks professional teams, so from January 2014, The Sharks teams will be known as the Cell C Sharks.
The Sharks CEO John Smit comments: “We are proud to welcome Cell C to The Sharks family. This partnership brings together two iconic South African brands who share similar values and a pioneering spirit. Our goal is to be the best franchise in the country and we believe there is great synergy between our two entities.”
Michael Ablett, The Sharks marketing manager, adds: “We are delighted to partner with a brand such as Cell C, who has secured title sponsorship rights on a three-year basis. Our marketing strategy has always been one that seeks to push boundaries in an endeavour to emerge as trendsetters. We believe that this new partnership with a leading mobile provider in South Africa will ensure that together with the rest of our valued sponsors, we form a formidable team that continues to push the envelope in terms of innovation.”
Cell C Chief Commercial Officer, Jose Dos Santos, adds: “We couldn’t have found a better franchise to be aligned with than The Sharks. With their tenacity and spirit, their ethos and drive mimics ours as a company.”