Puma Seeking To Grow Presence In Africa As World Cup Nears

Puma Currently Sponsors Cameroon's Eto'o, 11 African Men's National Soccer Teams

Puma Chair & CEO Jochen Zeitz said that the brand "aims to significantly step up sales, production and sourcing in Africa in the coming years" to capitalize on the FIFA World Cup taking place in South Africa next summer, according to Daniel Schafer of the FINANCIAL TIMES. The company "aims to step up production in Africa to more than one million pieces in 2010, after 750,000 pieces this year." Africa in the past year accounted for about 3% of Puma's $3.5B revenues, but "sales of footballs, shoes and apparel have doubled every two years in Africa." Zeitz said next year's World Cup will be a "home match" for the brand, which sponsors 11 African men's national soccer teams, as well as Cameroon and Serie A club Inter Milan F Samuel Eto'o. Zeitz: "Nobody has such a deep understanding of the African market as we have." Meanwhile, adidas has "forecast a new football revenue record for 2010," but Zeitz is "wary of raising the bar too high for next year's event." Zeitz: "It can bring a positive impulse, but it cannot compensate for the weak world economy" (FINANCIAL TIMES, 8/11).

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