In cricketing terms, Betway SA20 and Absa have just stitched together a century stand.
The pan-African banking powerhouse has inked a new multi-year deal to remain the League’s Official Banking Partner, extending a partnership that already felt like a match made in the middle.
The alliance, which first took guard in Season 3, saw Absa stride to the crease with bold strokes, rewarding fans, spicing up the action, and turning stadium concourses into carnivals.
With nearly 400 000 spectators streaming through the turnstiles last summer, the bank’s activations became as much a part of the spectacle as the sixes raining into the stands.
League Commissioner Graeme Smith described the renewed tie-up as “a trusted household name padding up alongside us again.”
He also praised Absa’s flair for entertainment and its knack for finding the boundary when it comes to fan-first innovation.
“We are proud to announce a new three-year partnership with Absa, a trusted household name in South Africa and across the continent,” said Smith.
“This partnership follows an incredibly successful inaugural partnership with Absa in Season 3, where they provided endless entertainment for the fans at the stadiums.
“Absa’s values of innovation, entertainment and fan-first inclusivity align strongly with SA20’s vision of being the No.1 sport and entertainment brand in South Africa.
“This is while strongly impacting the passionate fans who attend our matches.”
Central to that success was the Absa Card Play of the Day, where one swipe could turn into a windfall.
Last season, fans pocketed up to R100 000 per match, with one fortunate cardholder striking it rich to the tune of R200 000 in the final . It’s he sort of innings any batter would envy. Season 4 promises the same fireworks.
Absa Group’s Sydney Mbhele was equally bullish, calling the partnership “more than sponsorship, it’s about delivering moments that matter.”
He spoke of turning transactions into trophies, with cardholders again able to join the game-day fun, chase instant prizes, and carry home cricketing memories richer than any scorecard.
The bank’s pitch-side presence will again extend beyond the boundary, with concourse activations offering sign-ups, giveaways, and a taste of the action even before the first ball is bowled.
And the stage is set.
Defending champions MI Cape Town face Durban’s Super Giants at Newlands on 26 December, launching a festival of summer cricket that runs until the grand finale on 25 January.
With Absa back in the pavilion as a key partner, fans can expect the kind of partnership that turns singles into boundaries and boundaries into history.
