The purpose of this article is to profile African sport fans in relation to the hosting of mega and largescale
events. The aim is to determine their profiles, participation and challenges experienced with a
view to inform the hosting of future events such as the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Durban, South
Africa. A quantitative methodological approach within a case study design was undertaken in two
case study countries (Cameroon and Nigeria). Face-to-face interviews were conducted with 771
soccer fans across both study areas. The findings reveal African fans to be fairly young male and well
educated but earning a low income. The data also showed their level of attendance at mega-events
was quite low owing to the high level of costs associated with travelling and purchasing tickets for the
event. The article recommends the need for the 2022 Commonwealth Games organisers to take
cognisance of such challenges when implementing pricing and ticketing strategies. Maximising
African fans’ participation at future events will require robust thinking in relation to the pricing involved
in terms of travel and game tickets
