New sports stadia for Africa? The impact of sportscape features on attendance intentions in sub-Saharan African club football

Abstract

Research Question: Although team sports, particularly football, are extremely popular in sub-Saharan Africa, numerous major investments in the region’s sports infrastructure have failed, often because of sub-optimal requirements planning and low spectator demand. In light of FIFA’s recently announced aim to considerably invest into football stadia in Africa and in response to the lack of research into spectator demand in emerging countries, the present study assessed the impact facility-related factors on stadium attendance intentions in sub-Saharan Africa. Research Method: Football fans in Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, and Zimbabwe (N = 1,005) completed a questionnaire on facility-related factors that might affect their intentions to attend games. Structural equation modeling of the resulting data indicated which factors impact spectator behaviors. Results and Findings: Not all the factors with the greatest impact on spectator behaviors in the four countries studied are the same as those identified in developed economies. In addition, each country’s specific characteristics appear to influence the extent to which different variables impact intentions to attend games through satisfaction with the stadium, satisfaction with the team, and trust in the team. Implications: The study provides a better comprehension of facility-related variables and their effects on spectator demand in sub-Saharan Africa, a region which has seen very little investigation, despite the popularity of sports in this part of the world. In addition, the study is one of among a few that analyses the relevance of trust for purchase intentions in a sports setting.