Economic Intelligence Platform

Sport Economy Analytics

Deep-dive analytics into South Africa's R155.1 billion sport economy. Click any metric to explore detailed breakdowns, sector connections, and methodology. All data follows the Vilnius 3.0 framework.

Key Indicators

Click any metric for detailed breakdown

Reference: 2022

Total Sport GVA

R155.1 billion
+4.2%

Gross Value Added by sport economy to SA GDP using Vilnius 3.0 methodology

Total Employment

693 221
+3.8%

Direct, indirect, and induced jobs supported by sport economy

Characteristic GVA

R52.1 billion

Activities where sport is the primary purpose

Connected GVA

R103.0 billion

Services where sport drives demand

Economy Flow Summary

Aggregate flows across all 7 sport sectors

Full analysis
Total Revenue
R226B

Gross economic activity

GVA Retained
R124B

55.0% retention rate

Jobs Supported
492K

Direct employment

Tax Generated
R23.5B

10.4% effective rate

Import Leakage
R32.8B

14.5% of revenue

SectorRevenueGVARetentionJobsTaxImportsMultiplier
Sport Goods & Retail
R73.2BR40.3B55.1%131KR6.2B32.6%1.55x
Sport Media & Betting
R41.8BR23.0B55%38KR8.4B6%1.55x
Sport Education
R40.2BR22.1B55%84KR2.4B3%1.55x
Fitness & Health
R25.8BR14.2B55%105KR2.1B10.1%1.55x
Sport Facilities
R21.8BR12.0B55%67KR2.6B5%1.55x
Sport Clubs
R15.5BR8.5B54.8%36KR1.1B5.8%1.55x
Sport Tourism
R7.8BR4.3B55.1%31KR0.7B7.7%1.55x
TotalR226.1BR124.4B55.0%492KR23.5B14.5%1.55x
GVA by Sector (R billions)

Characteristic Connected

Employment & Productivity

Jobs (thousands) and GVA per employee

Insight: Sport Media (R605K/worker) has highest productivity but Sport Education employs 2.2x more people. Labor-intensive sectors drive job creation while capital-intensive sectors drive GVA.

Inter-Sector Money Flows

How sectors supply each other (R millions)

Clubs
R8.5B
Media
Media & Betting
R6.2B
Clubs
Facilities
R4.2B
Clubs
Goods & Retail
R3.2B
Fitness
Education
R3.2B
Clubs
Goods & Retail
R2.8B
Clubs
Clubs
R2.8B
Retail
Facilities
R2.2B
Media

Key Flow Insights

  • • Sport Clubs receive R8.5B from Media (broadcast rights) - largest single flow
  • • Sport Retail supplies R2.8B to Clubs (equipment, kits) - key procurement relationship
  • • Sport Facilities enable R2.2B in Media activity (venue access for broadcasts)
  • • R3.2B flows from Education to both Clubs and Fitness (trained personnel)
Economic Leakage Analysis

R32.8B leaves SA economy annually through imports and profit repatriation

Import Dependency by Sector

Sport Goods & Retail32.6%

Imported goods from China, Vietnam, EU (footwear, equipment)

Fitness & Health10.1%

Gym equipment (Technogym, Life Fitness)

Sport Tourism7.7%

Tour operator fees, booking platforms

Sport Media & Betting6%

Broadcast equipment, software licenses

Sport Clubs5.8%

Foreign player wages (outbound), equipment

Sport Facilities5%

Specialist equipment, turf, lighting

Sport Education3%

Specialized coaching equipment, educational materials

Where Money Leaves

Imported GoodsR27.5B

Sport equipment from China/Vietnam (R15B), footwear (R8B), broadcast equipment (R4.5B)

Profit RepatriationR4.8B

Multinational retailers, betting platforms, media companies

Foreign Player WagesR1.2B

Net outflow from professional sport leagues

Policy Opportunity: Increasing local manufacturing by 10% could retain an additional R2.75B in the SA economy annually.

Analysis Tools

Vilnius 3.0 Framework

GVA Calculation Method

1
Gross Spend

Total economic activity (R226B)

2
Apply GVA Ratio (55%)

Remove imported inputs per SA Treasury standard

3
Add Indirect (40%)

Supply chain ripple effects from vendor purchases

4
Add Induced (15%)

Worker wage re-spending in local economy

Multiplier Effects by Sector

Sport Facility OperationCHARACTERISTIC
93.11
Sport Club ActivitiesCHARACTERISTIC
93.12
Event Promotion & BroadcastingCHARACTERISTIC
93.19
Professional Athletes & CoachesCHARACTERISTIC
93.19b
Hotels & AccommodationCONNECTED
55.10
Food & BeverageCONNECTED
56.10

Total Multiplier: 1.55x — Every R1 of direct sport spending generates R1.55 of total economic activity through supply chains and wage re-spending.