For many Kenyans, sports are simply a game—something to pass the time. But for Cynthia Mumbo, sports represent a serious business opportunity, much like any other commercial venture.
After years of honing her skills in sales and marketing with major companies like Yana and East Africa Breweries Limited, Cynthia realized her true passion lay in sports management and business. She set her sights on turning basketball, a sport she deeply loved, into a more professionally run enterprise in Kenya.
Her entry into sports management wasn’t by chance. With her strong marketing background, Cynthia was soon brought on board by the Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF).
Her efforts quickly bore fruit, leading to the broadcasting of Kenyan basketball on SuperSport, a leading South African sports channel.
“In 2016, I founded Sports Connect Africa, a consultancy firm that connects sports stakeholders across the continent,” Cynthia says. “It wasn’t easy entrepreneurship in Kenya is challenging.”
Despite these hurdles, she was driven by a nagging question: why wasn’t it possible to earn a decent living from sports in Africa, when athletes in Europe and America were thriving?
“That’s what sparked my curiosity,” she recalls. “I started researching how to commercialise sports and connect the dots between passion and profit.”
Her research led to an important realisation: sports are deeply tied to relationships and emotions. Whether on the pitch or behind the scenes, dealing with athletes, fans, government officials, or sponsors requires careful navigation of human emotions.
The sports industry is highly competitive at every level, and it’s all about solving stakeholders’ problems. With this understanding, Sports Connect Africa was born to offer commercial solutions to challenges in the sports sector.
“The beginning was tough,” Cynthia admits. “First, people didn’t understand that sports could be a business. Second, no one wanted to pay for it—everyone expected to watch sports for free, unlike in Europe or America where fans are willing to pay top dollar.”
Even now, Cynthia acknowledges that changing the perception of sports as a business remains a significant challenge.
Building a business model
Sports Connect Africa operates like a sports agency, organising events and structuring them in ways that make sense both on the field and financially. “We also conduct research to help brands connect with African consumers,” Cynthia explains.
“Innovation plays a huge role in what we do, enabling brands to reach their audiences digitally.”
However, Cynthia points out that one reason the sports business struggles locally is a lack of understanding of the sports ecosystem.
“It’s not the sponsor’s job to make sure sports are working,” she says. “Sponsors won’t assign their staff or train sports entities on how to run their operations. We lack the capacity and expertise to strategically structure sports as a business and run it successfully.”
Cynthia stresses that sports should be viewed as an ecosystem that benefits every stakeholder.
Cynthia Mumbo, Founder and CEO Africa Sports Connect at her offices in Tilisi, Limuru.
Photo credit: POOL
“Culturally, we have this ‘big man syndrome,’ where the focus is on those managing sports rather than on investing in the players or enhancing the fan experience,” she explains.
“We haven’t moved away from that mindset, and it’s holding us back.”
As the first FIBA-certified African woman in her field, Cynthia understands the intricacies of sports contracts.
“Locally, sports contracts are very social, and you can’t run a business or build a product that way,” she warns. “There’s no reinvestment, which is why some competitions collapse as soon as a sponsor pulls out.”
Cynthia’s advice is straightforward: “You need to build your product, market it, research what people want, and create memorable experiences. We must move away from the fan experience of 30 years ago to meet the demands of today’s audience.”
Lessons from the EPL
She adds, “Sports is a multifaceted and emotional business. We haven’t structured it properly, yet people expect instant results. The English Premier League (EPL), for instance, took 25 years to become profitable.
We need to be deliberate about commercialising sports, with clear strategies and plans, starting from scratch without expecting immediate results. Sports is a professional business, and we need to treat it as such.”
What It takes to succeed in Kenya
Cynthia’s goal is to expand the pool of sports entrepreneurs in Kenya, creating a competitive environment off the pitch that mirrors the intensity on it.
“To succeed as an entrepreneur in sports, you need to build a database of fans, understand them to create better experiences, and develop a commercial strategy focused on revenue generation,” she advises.
“It’s not just about filling stadiums; it’s about licensing and merchandising, broadcast rights, and sponsorships. Sponsorships won’t come if you’re not on broadcast because stadium attendance alone isn’t enough.”
Cynthia estimates that launching and running a professional sports club in Kenya requires an average investment of Sh230 million for infrastructure and operational expenses before profitability can be achieved.
“But with a good understanding of the business, you could manage with Sh50 million,” she notes.
However, she clarifies that in the current Kenyan market, profitability remains elusive due to a disorganised ecosystem.
“Our Sports Act and policy don’t favour sports business, professionalism, or investment. You need to offer incentives for the industry to start growing,” Cynthia observes.
She adds that every sports entity should have a dedicated marketer because sports marketing is highly specialised.
“You’re marketing people, so you need to understand the nuances,” she says. “Innovation, digitalisation, and proper infrastructure are crucial. It’s intense and requires a complete mindset shift and consistency to make business sense.”
Looking to the future, Cynthia’s dream is to position Sports Connect Africa as the go-to source for solutions in sports business.
“We’re in the business of relationships, and we know that collaboration in sports is more powerful than competition. Even though we’re not yet profitable—this isn’t the easiest of businesses—our passion keeps us going,” she says.
