For women in sports talent wins games, but reputation wins contracts

Building a responsible personal brand in sport
At the recent Women Who Make Moves in Sport Summit, hosted by Momentum as part of their #SheOwnsHerSuccess campaign, there was a powerful message for women athletes striving to make their mark on the court, pitch, field and track - success isn’t just measured in medals, it’s also built online. With everyone seeking to monetise their skills in a sporting landscape where funding and sponsorships for women remain scarce, cultivating a responsible, compelling personal brand is a strategic imperative.

The Summit brought together marketing, legal, and financial experts to guide athletes on how to commercialise their talent, amplify their visibility, and navigate the digital world with authenticity and integrity. With only three of the 90 sports sponsorships announced in South Africa last year allocated to female sporting codes, the competition for financial support is fierce, so when it comes to individual athletes looking for financial support, the challenge is not only to perform, but to be seen, trusted, and valued.

Proceed with caution
Legal expert Emma Sadleir delivered a salutary lesson: that social media is both a launchpad and a landmine. While building a public-facing identity is essential for attracting corporate support, it must be done with caution. A single careless post can compromise everything and jeopardise future opportunities.

The caution isn’t theoretical. According to recent reports, Olympic medalist Daniel Ellis Roberts lost a key sponsor despite winning silver in Paris simply because his social media lacked impact. Ultramarathon legend Camille Herron saw her partnership with Lululemon collapse after being linked to edits on competitors’ Wikipedia pages, a reminder that even seemingly minor missteps in digital reputation can have outsized consequences.

Your talent is your business, and it deserves protection and so the recommendation was to create two distinct online identities - one personal, and one professional. The first-place prospective sponsors and funders look for any hint of controversy is social media. They are not only looking for the number of followers and level of engagement in potential partners, but they are also looking at character, values, and any hint of scandal that could damage their brand by association.

The more you look after your privacy, the more right you have to it, but privacy in the digital world can be extremely complex to navigate. Reposting, administering Facebook pages and WhatsApp groups all come with legal and ethical responsibilities. Athletes must also understand that there is no legal protection in claiming that posts are made ‘in your personal capacity’ - you are always an extension of your team, your federation, or your employer and bringing them into disrepute can have significant consequences for them and for the individual.

Ensuring professional alignment at all times
Because making a living in sport is tough, many women have either full-time jobs or side hustles. But if any of these roles are incompatible with your sport, or with any existing branding or sponsorship that your team or club has in place, it can create reputational and contractual risks. Transparency, disclosure of all your business interests and alignment are key.

Winning on and off the field
Winning both on and off the field is a skill that female athletes must cultivate with intentionality. An athlete’s equity is not just in their sporting performance, but in their online presence. Especially when many women have full-time contracts, a contract does not guarantee a salary and female athletes - even those considered full-time - are either unpaid or only partially paid.

Establishing a personal brand that represents value for potential sponsors can lead to lucrative product endorsements, brand partnerships, and other non-monetary deals such as use of a car, or apparel. Sponsors want to know that you bring followers who can trust you and for whom you represent value. How do you show up for your fans and followers and how do you contribute to your community, and others in our sporting eco-system? All this online activity matters. Validation through brand association sends a powerful message. When an organisation chooses to align with your personal brand, it’s a vote of confidence in your integrity, influence, and potential.

There were many take away lessons from the Summit, one of the most practical of which was to start with a social media audit. Review each platform that you are on and ensure consistency of messaging. Ensure that your profile aligns with your values and that they reflect the kind of partnership you want to attract. Personal authenticity, integrity and professionalism are qualities that have as much power as the boot or the racquet.

Curating a responsible personal brand is about building trust and demonstrating to sponsors that you are not just a great athlete, but that you can be a great ambassador for their company. Your voice has the potential to influence many people and so your actions should reflect integrity, and your presence should uplift the sport and greater community.
In an environment in which women’s sport is still fighting for equal recognition and equal financial remuneration, every post, every partnership, and every public interaction is an opportunity to drive the cause forward. Today’s sportswomen are not just worthy of investment; they represent future possibility for the next generation of women athletes.