Growth in Participation: effects of Sponsorship.

Three great brands.

Growth is measured in many ways, such as, the increase in the number of clubs, the increase in Registered Players, the increase in participation, and the improvement of standards (administrative, technical, playing).

Here I will be look growth in participation in MSSA’s Provincial and National Championships due to sponsorship.

When it comes to growth, it is always difficult to look back, and with 20/20 vision, isolate and identify the causes of such growth as there are so many factors that affect growth patterns.

Political instability, the national economy, sponsorships, vision, ‘buy-in’, administration, and so forth, are just some of thee factors that affect growth.

Let’s face it, South Africans have been through a hard time. There are few families that are untouched by the effects of crime, the economic meltdown, and the negativity that seems to surround the government over its mismanagement issues.

Yet through all this chaos and insecurity, Mind Sports South Africa (MSSA) delivers from one year to the next.

MSSA's year-on-year
growth over the past
five years.

On reviewing the numbers on the right, it will immediately become apparent that MSSA is a growing organisation. Not only is MSSA already the largest membership based gaming organisation in South Africa, but it is continuing to grow at rates that outstrip inflation and population growth rates.

There is no doubt that sponsorships play a part in fuelling growth, especially when they are done on the basis of a partnership and mutual trust and accountability. Thus the MWEB sponsorship obtained in 2013 (which lasted for three years) seems to have directly helped boost the levels of participation dramatically over the 2012 year.

But growth is only good if it can be sustained.

It is therefore quite pleasing to note that the growth rates in participation at MSSA’s Championships were just over 18% for both 2014 and 2015. When it is realised that the growth is measured over the previous year, the 18% is even more spectacular.

The impetus provided by both TULUNTULU and BOO! Surprising Media Solutions no doubt were partly responsible for the massive increase in participation of over 77%. Certainly, I can attest that such sponsorships enthused all administrators and participants alike.

However, it should be noted that in 2016 MSSA showed a 1% increase.

2016 was a hard year for MSSA with many Management Board members becoming distracted. Yet it was in 2016 that many of the foundations were put in place for 2017. It was many of such decisions made in 2016 that made 2017 as successful as it was.


Certainly, from a company point of view, these growth rates are more than acceptable.

Press coverage for clubs

There is a growing need for smaller clubs to get as much press coverage as possible.

The reason for such is that there is a direct correlation between press coverage received and the ability to earn income from sponsorships.

Thus MSSA has always tried to give its member clubs as much publicity as possible when reporting results and selecting teams.

However, it is often felt by MSSA that member clubs do not take advantage of MSSA as what they are entitled to.

For example, MSSA Regulations practically enforce MSSA to advertise a member club's events – as long as it does not clash with an MSSA event, and timeous notification is also given.

Not only does MSSA give member clubs coverage of club events, of teams doing well at provincial and national championships, but also gives clubs the opportunity of gaining extra coverage by hosting MSSA events.

Thus a number of clubs offer to host Regional Championships. Regional Championships, unlike Provincial and National Championships, do not require much infrastructure as at Regional Championships, host clubs may pick-and-choose which titles they intend to host.

How does SA get professional gamers?

2014 MWEB Protea eSports Team for DotA 2

The short answer is - to pay them!

However, in order to pay gamers to play, there is a lot of 'back-end' work tat has to be done.

For South Africa to have professional gamers, the competitions have to become sustainable by having:

Paying spectators, 

Sponsorships that run from year to year,

A well structured system, 

Gamers that abide by the structure, 

A common vision shared by the majority of those involved.

Mind Sports South africa has over the years developed properly structured systems which start at school level and end at the selection of National teams which then compete on an international level. Through MSSA the following number of eSports players have played against international teams:

Year	Number of gamers
2005	5
2007	8
2008	50*
2009	2
2010	4
2011	4
2012	9
2013	25
2014	13

'Loda' and other members of SK Gaming at the Old edwardian Society in Johannesburg

* In 2008 SK Gaming was brought out to South Africa by MSSA. SK Gaming not only participated in official test matches on behalf of Sweden but also participated in the 2008 African Continental Championships which gave a total of ten teams the opportunity to play against them.

MSSA's dedication in getting teams to play on an international level is unsurpassed by any other organisation in South Africa.

It should however be noted that eNergy eSports, and Bravado both sent a team overseas in 2013, while eNergy sent one overseas in 2014, and Bravado went overseas in 2015 on their own account.

However, the press received by the National eSports Team eclipses the press received by any other. The MWEB Protea eSports Team is well known to every gamer, and in many households in South Africa. Such team is often interviewed by the foreign press. The team is too much loved overseas by its peers and by the shoutcasters alike!

The Protea Badge does wonders for the image and accreditation of the team.

It is only through a concerted effort with all working with MSSA that South Africa will be able to produce true professional gamers.