BUILDING AFRICA’S FOOTBALL ECONOMY: FROM TALENT EXPORT TO CONTINENTAL VALUE CREATION
For generations, African football has enriched the world’s greatest leagues while the continent itself captured only a fraction of the wealth generated by its own talent. That imbalance now stands at the center of a continental conversation about economic development, job creation and national prosperity. Brian Wesaala, Founder and President of The Football Foundation for Africa, has positioned himself as the leading voice pushing African governments, investors and football leaders to view the sport not as entertainment or social development alone, but as critical economic infrastructure capable of transforming lives across the continent.
Additional reference context is available at https://panafricanvisions.com/2026/08/brian-wesaala-on-building-africas-football-economy/.
The Africa Football Business Summit, which Wesaala leads, has grown into one of Africa’s premier platforms for connecting governments, investors, technology innovators and football administrators around a single proposition: the continent must stop exporting its greatest asset and start building the institutions, businesses and ecosystems that keep far greater value at home. This year’s fifth edition moves to Accra, Ghana for the first time, marking a turning point. The shift from Kenya signals the Summit’s evolution into a truly Pan-African platform and reflects deepening commitment to making football a driver of continental economic policy.
In an exclusive conversation with Pan African Visions, available at panafricanvisions.com/2026/08/brian-wesaala-on-building-africas-football-economy/, Wesaala discusses why Ghana was chosen as host, the opportunities emerging from women’s football and artificial intelligence, lessons from the recent FIFA World Cup, and why he believes the next decade could redefine Africa’s place not only on the pitch but across the global football economy.
The vision behind AFBS 2026 reflects a fundamental shift in how African football should be measured and valued. For decades, success has been defined by the number of players exported to overseas leagues or trophies won in international tournaments. Wesaala argues that definition is incomplete. Success should also be measured by the strength of domestic leagues, the health of national federations, the number of jobs football creates and the contribution it makes to national economies. This year’s theme, “From Vision to Value: Building a Sustainable Football Economy for Africa,” challenges the continent to move beyond discussing football as sport and begin viewing it as an economic sector capable of driving growth across multiple industries.
Ghana’s selection as host carries symbolic weight. Beyond its proud football heritage and stable democratic environment, Ghana hosts the African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat. That placement signals the kind of continental integration that African football also requires. Football should not be viewed as a collection of isolated national markets but as a connected African economy with enormous collective potential. Hosting the Summit in Accra is therefore about demonstrating how football can support trade, tourism, education, investment and diplomacy while creating lasting value for host nations and the broader continent.
Building a Pan-African platform of this magnitude presents real challenges. Wesaala acknowledges that the greatest hurdle has not been organizing the event itself but changing the conversation about what football represents. For a long time, football has been viewed either as entertainment or as a social development tool. Both perspectives have merit, yet they underestimate football’s true potential. Convincing stakeholders that football deserves to be discussed alongside infrastructure, investment, trade and industrial policy requires persistence and evidence. Moving the Summit to a new country meant establishing new partnerships, navigating different operating environments and building trust with local stakeholders. Wesaala frames these challenges not as obstacles but as opportunities to strengthen the movement and demonstrate that more organizations are beginning to share the vision of football as a strategic driver of economic and social development.
The 2026 Summit deliberately brings together people who would not ordinarily meet but who all have a role to play in building Africa’s football economy. This is not a football conference where people simply discuss football. It is a business summit where football becomes the entry point for conversations about investment, technology, infrastructure, governance, tourism, education and innovation. Delegates can expect discussions on artificial intelligence, sports technology, women’s football, infrastructure development, sustainability, sports tourism and innovative financing models. Success will not be measured by the quality of conversations alone but by the collaborations and investments they generate.
Over five editions, the Summit has grown into one of the continent’s leading convening platforms, bringing together stakeholders from government, football, business, academia, development and technology across more than thirty countries. It has facilitated partnerships between organizations that might never otherwise have connected, supported educational opportunities and strengthened cross-border collaboration. Yet Wesaala argues the greatest achievement has been helping to change the conversation itself. Increasingly, football is being recognized not simply as a sport but as an economic ecosystem capable of creating employment, attracting investment and contributing to national development. That shift in mindset is fundamental if African football is to realize its full potential.
Africa’s challenge is no longer producing footballers. It is producing value. Talent has never been in short supply. Every year, African players excel in the world’s leading leagues and competitions. The real challenge is building the institutions and ecosystems that allow more of the value created by that talent to remain within Africa. That requires stronger governance, a more robust policy framework, better coaching, modern infrastructure, sustainable domestic leagues, greater investment in grassroots football and more innovative commercial models. These are the foundations upon which successful football nations are built.
The recent FIFA World Cup reinforced that African football belongs among the world’s elite. African teams demonstrated technical quality, athleticism, resilience and the confidence to compete with the best. Wesaala argues, though, that the more important question is not how African teams performed during the tournament but whether African football is stronger because of it. Bigger tournaments do not automatically create stronger football ecosystems. If football is to become a genuine driver of development, every World Cup must be evaluated differently. Did domestic leagues become stronger? Did clubs attract more investment? Did football create more employment? Did governments begin to see football as an economic sector rather than simply a sporting activity? Those are the questions that will determine whether Africa eventually produces not just outstanding World Cup performances but sustainable football success.
Success is not built during tournaments; it is built in the decades before them. Countries like Cabo Verde and Morocco have been building over years, and now results are showing. That means investing consistently in grassroots football, coaching, governance, sports science, physical and digital infrastructure and domestic competitions. It means treating football as a long-term national investment rather than a project that comes to life only when qualification is within reach or when hosting major events. Governments also need to ask a different question. Every qualification campaign requires significant public investment. What is the return on that investment? Does it strengthen domestic leagues? Does it create jobs? Does it stimulate tourism? Does it attract private investment?
Governance remains the foundation because every other challenge flows from it. Good governance determines how resources are invested, how infrastructure is developed, how young players are protected and how commercial partnerships are structured. Without strong institutions, even significant financial investment rarely delivers lasting impact. Governance, though, should not be viewed simply as compliance or elections. It is about strategic leadership and building institutions that can attract investment, inspire confidence and outlast individual administrators.
Meanwhile, Wesaala believes the continent needs to broaden how it thinks about football. Too often, it is viewed as entertainment or, at best, as a development programme. He sees it differently. Football is infrastructure. Just as countries invest in roads, energy and digital networks because they enable economic activity, football enables education, employment, public health, tourism, innovation and social cohesion. Once governments begin viewing football through that lens, investment decisions become much more strategic.
Africa has become one of the world’s greatest producers of football talent, yet much of the economic value created by that talent is retained elsewhere. Transfer fees circulate through foreign leagues, broadcasting revenues strengthen overseas competitions and sponsorship follows mature football ecosystems. There is nothing wrong with Europe’s success. It is the product of decades of deliberate investment. The question is whether Africa can build its own football economy with the same ambition. That means developing stronger domestic leagues, modern clubs, sports technology companies, football tourism, media businesses, education providers and innovative financing models. Africa should be exporting ideas, innovation and football enterprises alongside elite players. The objective is not to stop exporting talent. It is to ensure that talent is only one part of Africa’s football economy rather than its primary business model.
Women’s football, sports technology, artificial intelligence, fan engagement and sports tourism are no longer emerging conversations. They are becoming central pillars of modern football. Women’s football is experiencing unprecedented global growth and presents one of Africa’s greatest opportunities for participation, leadership and commercial development. The continent has exceptional talent; now it must build equally strong ecosystems around it. Technology and artificial intelligence are transforming every aspect of football, from talent identification and performance analysis to governance, fan engagement and commercial operations. They enable smarter decisions and more efficient organizations. Sports tourism is equally important. Football has the power to showcase destinations, attract international visitors and stimulate local economies. Countries that strategically integrate football with tourism stand to create value far beyond the ninety minutes played on the pitch.
Looking ahead over the next decade, Wesaala’s recommendation is straightforward: Africa must move from participation to value. For decades, the focus has rightly been on earning greater representation within global football. That has been achieved. Today, the challenge is different. It is about capturing a greater share of the value that African football creates. That requires stronger governance, long-term investment in grassroots infrastructure, professional football administration, coaching education, women’s football, digital innovation and commercially sustainable domestic competitions. It also requires a continental mindset. Football should not be viewed only through national borders. Africa’s greatest opportunities lie in collaboration, shared markets and regional investment, principles that align closely with the vision of the African Continental Free Trade Area. The African Union, Wesaala argues, should be more involved in shaping sports policy and appreciating the role football plays towards Agenda 2063.
Ultimately, Wesaala hopes Africa becomes known not only for producing world-class footballers but also for producing world-class football institutions, businesses, technologies and ideas.