The weight of Morocco’s sports industry
More than just a recreational activity, sport in Morocco has become an industry in its own right over the last ten years. It is now a dynamic economic sector. A 1st study carried out by the Moroccan Federation of Sports Professionals (FMPS) confirms this.
«The sports industry in the Kingdom now accounts for more than 2.5% of GDP. The private sports sector represented by the FMPS accounts for 1.56% of Morocco’s GDP», say the authors of the study, carried out in collaboration with the German cooperation agency Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and the consultancy firm IN&Sport.
Sales generated by private companies are expected to reach 19 billion Dirhams (1.7 billion euros) in 2022. «This figure only concerns the sample studied, which represents 321 entities, or 80% of all private players. If we add the rest of the industry (excluding construction and sports tourism), sales in the private sports sector alone are estimated at 21.18 billion Dirhams» (1.93 billion euros), explained Vincent Chaudel, partner at IN&Sport, at a press briefing held on Tuesday December 12 in Casablanca. What’s more, private players in the sports sector generate almost 2% of their sales from exports. The sports ecosystem involves a multitude of public and private players. Companies surveyed included sports clubs, retail outlets, equipment and infrastructure providers, sports event communication agencies, and start-ups offering sports solutions, among others. Sports halls and retail are the two segments representing the most companies in the sports industry.
However, lotteries generate the most sales (67%), followed by retail (almost 20%). Whether in stores or online, the sporting goods trade is worth around 3.77 billion Dirhams (343 million euros) (2022). With 604.4 million Dirhams (55 million euros), the sports clubs and gyms segment is booming, with growth of 25% compared with 2021.
«We carried out this study to identify the players in the sports sector and the economic stakes involved, and to demonstrate that sport is an industry in its own right that has nothing to envy other sectors. In addition to having a direct impact on the health and social well-being of our fellow citizens, sport has a significant impact on our economy, creating added value and jobs», explains Mehdi Sekkouri, President of the FMPS, which was established in 2021.
Khadija Skalli
