Preparations are in high gear. Every sign suggests that the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN), due in August 2025, is shaping up.
Hosted by Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania under the banner “CHAN Pamoja”, the football showcase promises excitement.
And as such, the organizing committees have taken an unusual turn.
In Africa international football matches are often priced beyond the reach of ordinary citizens.
But Local Organising Committees (LOCs) have taken a bold ticket pricing gamble.
Across hosting venues in Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania, entry will be $1 for ordinary seats, $2 VIP, and $3 VVIP.
While fans have welcomed the pricing as a win, analysts and stakeholders in the sports economy are asking questions.
Can this financially sustain an international tournament?
Who foots the bill if revenues fall short? And beyond the headlines, what does this say about East Africa’s evolving sports economy?
Dennis Mugimba, the CHAN LOC communications and signage subcommittee chairperson, however, says the ticketing model has wider considerations.
“Our aim is not money; we want as many fans as possible to watch this tournament in stadiums,” he says.
Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania, Mugimba says, agreed on a uniform pricing structure that offers the same price across hosting venues.
“CAF has advised that we make ticket prices affordable. We were advised to consider a $1, $2, and $3 for ordinary, VIP, and VVIP,” he says.
Mandela Stadium, which will host most CHAN matches, can make money if it can sell out the standing crowd at UGX 180 million per match.
This is on the assumption that 80% of attendees pay for ordinary seats, 15% for VIP, and 5% for VVIP access.
While that may appear sufficient on paper, hosting a CHAN match is far from cheap.
Organisers estimate each match to cost between UGX 70 million and UGX 90 million.
The amount above is inclusive of stadium operations, security, medical, logistics, and hospitality.
These numbers reveal a narrow margin of error.
A full house would deliver a surplus of about UGX 100 million per match.
But anything less than optimal attendance, particularly during group-stage matches, could turn this surplus into a deficit.
Sports finance expert Timothy Kaggwa cautions that the model only works if the stadium is filled consistently.
“The pricing model makes sense if you fill the stadium every match. But if you get 60% attendance or below, you start flirting with losses,” he said.
Yet, even with the financial risks, the LOCs are standing by their decision.
The frame the decision as a strategic investment rather than a commercial transaction.
“You have to see this beyond a single game,” said Dr Harriet Mwesigwa, another member of Uganda’s LOC, during a recent press briefing.
“We’re using this tournament to rebuild football culture, to give ordinary people access to the continental stage, and to justify investments in stadium upgrades.”
For Uganda, that investment is part of a broader agenda that extends beyond CHAN.
Uganda, together with Kenya and Tanzania, will co-host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
The three countries are expected to have combined infrastructure upgrades upwards of UGX 1.3 trillion.
Within that, CHAN preparations are projected to take UGX 350 billion.
The committee’s finance subcommittee, led by National Council of Sports General Secretary Bernard Ogwel, has emphasised that these expenditures are not merely sunk costs.
Engineer Richard Matsiko Confirmed as UETCL Chief Executive OfficerThey are long-term investments in sports tourism, national branding, and economic stimulation.
State Minister for Sports and co-chair of the CHAN LOC, Peter Ogwang, said recently that transparency and accountability would guide the entire process.
“We must account for every shilling,” he said, reaffirming government’s commitment to both legal compliance and prudent spending.
The committee is also betting on a broader economic multiplier effect.
Matchdays are expected to create income opportunities for vendors, transport providers, hotels, and entertainment outlets.
This is an economic ripple that could potentially justify the initial subsidy on ticket prices.
Importantly, CHAN Pamoja’s pricing model is being implemented within the broader framework of CAF’s “Pamoja” directive.
The directive emphasises a unified East African approach to tournament management, branding, and budgeting.
The idea is to present the region as a single football economy with shared goals.
In January this year, during the official tournament draw in Nairobi, Ogwang proposed that the tournament officially adopt the name “CHAN Pamoja.”
CAF agreed. Pamoja is a Swahili word for “together” and has since become the defining theme of the championship.
CAF’s support has not been limited to branding.
In January 2025, the continental football body also approved a postponement of the tournament from its original February schedule to August.
This was due to infrastructure readiness challenges across all three host nations.
According to another local outlet, FUFA President and CHAN LOC Vice Chair Moses Magogo acknowledged that Uganda was not ready to host in February, and welcomed the rescheduling.
“It gives us more time to deliver a world-class tournament,” he said.
CAF’s directives have also extended to commercial rights and operational guidelines.
CAF retains exclusive control over sponsorships, marketing assets, and broadcasting rights, with local organisers required to work within existing frameworks.
The LOCs have also been directed to follow CAF procurement rules for services like ticketing, hospitality, and branding.
In line with this, Uganda opened a competitive tender for ticketing services in late 2024.
While there are precedents for low-ticket models—Rwanda’s CHAN 2016 featured tickets priced as low as RWF 500 (UGX 2,000) for some games.
The long-term success of such strategies remains uncertain.
But analysts argue that ticket affordability must be coupled with strong fan engagement, efficient stadium management, and post-tournament conversion strategies to draw fans to domestic league matches.
Marketing consultant Allan Ssengendo, who has worked with FUFA and several regional brands, said that the real value of CHAN lies in its afterlife.
“Affordable access is great, but it must lead somewhere. If the same fans don’t return to watch Uganda Premier League games after CHAN, then we’ll have missed a huge opportunity,” he said.
That view is widely shared among stakeholders. For many, CHAN Pamoja’s ticket pricing model is more than a short-term calculation; it’s a bet on the future of football in East Africa.
If the tournament succeeds in drawing fans, stimulating local economies, and showcasing homegrown talent, it could become a model for future CAF competitions.
Still, much will depend on execution.
Full stadiums, seamless logistics, effective fan transport, and crowd safety will all determine whether the UGX3,600 ticket proves to be the best decision the LOCs ever made or the costliest.
But for now, the LOCs are standing by their model. As Mugimba emphasised during a recent media briefing, “This tournament is not about making money; it’s about making history.”
And in that framing, CHAN Pamoja may be remembered not just as a football event, but as an economic experiment in crowd-building, community-first sport, and continental ambition.
