PETROLEUM giant Sakunda Holdings remain Highlanders’ principal sponsors with the two entities tying loose ends before entering a new deal after the last sponsorship contract expired on December 31, a club official has revealed.
Speaking on the sidelines of a launch of another partnership deal with Better Brands at a local hotel on Friday night, the Bulawayo giants’ executive secretary Morgen Dube confirmed that Sakunda is still bankrolling Highlanders.
“We have got our principal sponsor, which is Sakunda and they have done exceptionally well in the last three years. We will all remember that Sakunda is only taking care of part of our bills, particularly the players’ salaries and secretariat salaries. "But running a football club, there is more than just salaries. You also think of winning bonuses, putting the team into camp, getting the vehicles moving including the team bus,” Dube said.
He added: “And being Highlanders, we have also got other teams ranging from the Under-13s to the Under-20s which is a Division One team, Bosso 90. We also have Highlanders Royals, which is the girls’ team, a cornerstone of our institution and with these guys (Better Brands) coming on board now, we are beginning to seem like we are really running football.
“We are really doing business as far as football is concerned. Sakunda remains our principal sponsor, but it needed other players to complement it and Better Brands wouldn’t have come at a better time. Better Brands is partnering with Sakunda in sponsoring Highlanders.”
Tonde Sakupwanya, the managing director of Better Brands, a company owned by Tafara-Mabvuku MP Pedzisayi “Scot” Sakupwanya also shed light on the company’ sponsorship to the Bulawayo giants, but would not be drawn to give details of the package.
“We are very excited. I am very enthusiastic in announcing this new partnership with Highlanders. We as Better Brands value sport and we value the youths. We decided to partner with Highlanders, a big brand and Better Brands is also a big brand.
“I am not at liberty to crunch the numbers. I don’t deal with numbers, but what I can say is that Highlanders is very happy with the package which has been offered by Better Brands. Better Brands is actually dealing with operational expenses for Highlanders, on and off the pitch. We want the players to concentrate on playing football,” Tonde said.
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Better Brands’ partnership extends to the junior teams, the developmental side Bosso 90 and the ladies team Highlanders Royals in what Better Brands believes is an extension of what Sakupwanya has been doing in Tafara-Mabvuku and going national.
