Sport Science Institute of South Africa moves forward with Openfield as new commercial agent

• October 11, 2016

Openfield has been appointed as the commercial agent to the Sports Science Institute of South Africa (SSISA) – a venture that will see the agency’s specialists in commercial sponsorship development create a new commercial model for SISSA, with the aim of securing corporate partners for SSISA that will generate sustainable revenue for the entity going forward.

SSISA stands at an exciting juncture in its history, operating as a newly formed merged entity with the UCT’s Division of Exercise Science and Sports Medicine.  This change offers the potential for a deeper national footprint, a fully-fledged online educational portal and, most importantly, the chance to make the translation of science much more accessible to the public sector and, in so doing, make a positive impact on the health & wellbeing of all South Africans.[/fusion_text][/one_half][fusion_text]With issues around the importance of a healthy lifestyle becoming more prominent, SSISA’s expertise and its access to the latest research and thinking in the field of health, wellness and exercise science can credibly position SSISA as a valuable partner for brands operating in the wellness space.  This holds the potential for mutually beneficial partnerships between SSISA and like-minded corporate partners who can, together, contribute to the successful delivery of SSISA’s mission over the past two decades – Optimising the health and sporting performance of all South Africans through the execution, application and dissemination of science.

“What an exciting time to be a South African involved in sport! South Africa’s performances at the Rio Olympic and Paralympic Games demonstrate that we can indeed excel against the best.” commented Phathokuhle Zondi, CEO of SSISA.  “The industries of performance and wellness are dynamic and ever changing – to me this represents great opportunity, and SSISA’s success will be determined by how readily we embrace this change and how agile we are in pre-empting or responding to it.  We look forward to working with Openfield as we forge mutually beneficial partnerships with corporates whose vision aligns with ours.  Like Caster Semenya and Charl du Toit, SSISA is going for gold in this industry !”

“We are enthusiastic at the prospect of working with SSISA to unlock the commercial potential inherent in the SSISA brand and its offerings in the health and wellness space.  Today’s marketing environment is all about having access to relevant consumer data and using it to effect meaningful dialogue with consumers.  We believe SSISA’s wealth of research, content, expert thinking and expertise therefore offers an attractive proposition to the right corporate partner.” added Jo Ramsay, Strategic Head at Openfield.