Uganda signs up as official sponsor of AFCON 2027 in tourism push
Uganda’s tourism board has signed up as an official sponsor of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, in a deal announced in Kampala on Friday, 30 October. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) and the Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) signed the agreement at a launch event at the Marriott Hotel in Kampala.
Under the deal, the tourism board becomes the tournament’s Official Destination Sponsor and an Official Competition Sponsor. Its “Explore Uganda – The Pearl of Africa” campaign will sit at the centre of the tournament’s global promotion, using broadcast, digital and in-stadium platforms to present the country to fans around the world.
The tournament, the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations PAMOJA 2027, will be co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda from 19 June to 17 July 2027. It will be the first time three countries have shared hosting of the competition.
CAF General Secretary Samson Adamu said the deal would let Uganda use football’s worldwide popularity to present itself “not only as a Host Nation but as a tourism destination”. He said it would let East Africa market itself to the more than 3 billion people he said would watch the competition. Uganda Tourism Board chief executive Juliana Kagwa called the tournament “the biggest tourism marketing opportunity Uganda has had in a generation”, adding that football would bring visitors who could discover Uganda beyond the stadium.
Why it matters
Uganda is not just hosting matches in 2027. It is buying a place in front of a global audience, and using the tournament to sell the country itself: its wildlife, its culture and its hospitality. The tourism board’s message to visiting fans is simple — explore Uganda beyond the game and stay for the discovery.
What happens next
The tourism board will now build its campaign around the tournament, with its attractions promoted on television, online and inside stadiums. Preparations across the three host countries continue ahead of kick-off on 19 June 2027, when the three countries host Africa’s biggest football event together for the first time.
This article is for general information and education only. It is not legal or financial advice.
Sources
- https://kawowo.com/2026/10/30/caf-afcon-pamoja-2027-uganda-tourism-board-caf-sign-momentous-pact-to-showcase-the-pearl-of-africa/ (Kawowo Sports, 30 October 2026)
- https://eastleighvoice.co.ke/sports/418103/uganda-partners-with-caf-to-promote-tourism-ahead-of-afcon-2027 (The Eastleigh Voice, 30 October 2026)
