JOHANNESBURG – The fastest athlete in South Africa’s history, Akani Simbine, this week signed a seven-figure sponsorship deal with UK listed satellite solutions provider Avanti Communications. The athlete, who is said to be one of the fastest sprinters in the world, won
The London Diamond League last week, in another sub ten performance. The three-year sponsorship agreement will see Akani through the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
The partnership is the cornerstone of Avanti’s new brand platform, ‘Be More’ which celebrates its mission to connect people, communities and continents to a world of opportunity and create better futures for all. It was inspired by a shared passion to empower young talent across the continent and will enable Akani to have full time training, which is crucial for him in the lead up to Tokyo 2020.
Akani Simbine is on a journey to become one of the greatest athletes on the African continent and is described as South Africa’s sprinting sensation, running the 100m in a record-breaking speed of 9.89 seconds. Yet, it is the hours of training and years of dedication, focus and ambition needed to become a world-leading athlete that embodies the spirit behind ‘Be More’ and is why Avanti has joined forces with Akani.
Akani Simbine says about the sponsorship: “This is an exciting time for me, and with Avanti’s support I can now be even more focused on my 2020 gold medal ambition. Like me, Avanti wants to make a positive impact across Africa and inspire people to reach their full potential. I believe that everyone can be more, when they are a piece of the continent.”
This partnership is the latest statement of Avanti’s commitment to being the leading satellite provider for connectivity and coverage in Africa.
Avanti CEO, Kyle Whitehill comments: “With his athletic success, ambition and legacy of spreading positivity and optimism, Akani Simbine is exactly the sort of ambassador Avanti wants to be working with. This is Avanti’s first ever professional sponsorship deal and it comes in a really significant year for the company as we build on new and existing projects across the continent that empower people to be more.”