The Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) is a biennial, international soccer tournament featuring national teams from across the continent, hosted by a different country every two years. While there are 54 eligible teams across Africa, only the 24 best teams qualify for the opportunity to play, making this elite tournament the pinnacle of African soccer. While this tournament looks influential in terms of sporting glory and national pride, it also provides a massive economic boost for the host nation. The following covers ways through which the AFCON tournament stimulates economies and fights poverty across Africa.

Fighting Poverty in Africa: Short-Term Benefits

“In the short term, the tournament has a positive effect,” explains Roméo Boye, a researcher at the Ivorian Center for Economic and Social Research. Throughout the four-week-long tournament, the host nation experiences a significant boost in hospitality revenue, primarily at hotels, restaurants and souvenir shops, as a result of the increased traffic from tournament attendees. According to Roméo Boye, the tournament has an extremely positive impact on the host nation’s GDP despite only being four weeks long.

These businesses also expand during the tournament, creating short-term professional opportunities that not only provide job seekers with a temporary financial boost but also allow them to gain valuable workplace experience and enhance their resumes. Although these jobs only last the duration of the tournament, they still possess the ability to aid those who are jobless and in poverty. As the market expands, the tournament provides them with opportunities to gain work experience and financial capital.

Infrastructure and Long-Term Growth

Although the short-term economic benefits outnumber the long-term benefits, the tournament provides the host nation with the opportunity to develop its cities while making long-lasting improvements to the infrastructure of the country. For example, transportation was an issue in the Ivory Coast for many years before the country hosted AFCON. Traveling from city to city could be difficult and tedious. However, after the improvements to roads, bridges and airports born during AFCON, movement throughout the country is far more accessible and efficient, according to Julien Adhepeau, professor at the Université Félix Houphouët-Boigny, in Abidjan. 

In the fight against poverty in developing countries, these infrastructural improvements appear to be vital. In the case of the Ivory Coast, transportation upgrades have made employment more accessible, as prospective candidates can move more easily throughout the country, expanding their job opportunities. The Ivory Coast created 24 ‘AFCON cities’ which served as residences for international delegations during the tournament. These cities were a point of growth for new communities and businesses, providing even more job opportunities to Ivorians. 

Sporting Infrastructure and Financial Rewards

On the sporting side, in addition to economic stimulation provided by ticket sales and broadcasting revenue, AFCON also allows for the development of state-of-the-art sporting facilities, which create even more job opportunities as workers are needed at these sites. Finally, the Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF) provides a large payout to all teams competing in the tournament. In 2019, all participating nations received at least $600,000, while the winners took home about $4.5 million. In 2017, even the four semifinalists received a substantial payout of $1.5 million each. 

Looking Ahead

At first glance, the Africa Cup of Nations is an intense sporting competition with international recognition at stake. However, it also presents opportunities, fighting Poverty in Africa and improving living conditions in developing countries. Through financial and infrastructural developments, AFCON has contributed to increased employment opportunities and improved access to services in some host communities.

– Jack Schuchard

Jack is based in Herndon, VA, USA and focuses on Global Health and Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr