ABSTRACT
Zimbabwe’s Premier Soccer League (ZPSL) dates back to 1962, albeit it has undergone structural transformations in the postindependence era. Despite such a long life span, the league has struggled to develop into a “money-spinning” enterprise. However, growing scholarship on Zimbabwean football, in particular, and Africa, at large, has undertheorized this phenomenon. This chapter is a critical reflection on the political economy, challenges and salient issues in Zimbabwe’s domestic elite league that contribute to stunted growth. The study benefits from ethnographic research methods and in-depth interviews with selected ZPSL football administrators and journalists, among other key stakeholders. Data were also obtained from newspapers reporting on matters critical to the study. Empirical data shows that the stunted growth of ZPSL can be attributed to an ever-hemorrhaging economy, especially in the post-2000 epoch. Critically, poor corporate governance, corruption, nepotism, hooliganism, muscle drain and insignificant sponsorship deals have contributed to the league’s demise. Critics note there are too much infighting and bad publicity, which becomes a risk to investors who want to associate with a good brand; hence, the ZPSL loses on the possible amounts it could accrue from advertisements and other intellectual property–related revenue streams.
