NTV, Kwese in World Cup road shows

The NTV-Kwese World Cup road show hits Nairobi’s roads Friday as the countdown to Russia 2018 enters its business end with the eagerly-awaited tournament’s kick-off next Thursday.

The caravan will start off at Nation Centre from 8am and snake through the city streets to Donholm, Pipeline, Embakasi, Umoja, Kayole and Komarock on its opening day.

The road show party will run until Tuesday next week.

NTV has signed a partnership with Kwese Free Sports to air 32 live World Cup games free of charge on high quality signal.

The ripples of the 2018 World Cup will most certainly stream down to the local businessmen and women who are gleefully waiting for their piece of the monetary pie.

Digital signal providers in the local market are giving great competitive prices to win more audiences which translates into increased revenue.

Three young men from Nairobi’s Majengo Estate have been busy selling second hand football jerseys at the city’s Gikomba market, boosted by the tournament’s prospects.

“Patches”, whose real name is Patrick Mulwa, serves a group of customers milling around the bundles of jerseys placed by the roadside on top of a blue sisal carpet.

His colleagues are singing self-scripted World Cup tunes to lure potential customers.

Patches confirms: “We have witnessed a steady increase in the number of people buying our jerseys as compared to last month when we would go home with less than Sh3,000 daily.

Since last week, on a good day, we can even make Sh7,000.”

A second hand jersey sells for Sh350 but the price is always negotiable. Next to them is Alexander Mikwa, in his mid 40s, selling football boots and shin guards. He smiles when I ask how his business is doing and then responds: “Young man, I see you have a camera at hand but do you play football?”

“I watch football sir,” I respond. He is excited as demand for football boots has increased.

Tapping me on the shoulder and we step aside, he confides how, in less than a week, he has sold 264 pairs of football boots and 110 “Predator “shin guards.

“I’m selling second hand boots, but I have to tell my customers the difference between cheap Chinese imports and Italian, Indonesian and Vietnam brands.”

He holds a Nike T90 boot that sells at 2,500 while a brand new one goes for Sh6,000.

The cheapest pair goes for Sh1,500 but for a customer who is buying more than two pairs, the price is flexible.

At Nairobi Sports House, the World Cup tone is already set at fever pitch with an array of 32 flags flying on the store’s ceiling representing the countries competing at the World Cup.

The retail outlet along Moi Avenue is giving customers discounts with a single, heavy duty flag selling at Sh1,750 while a lighter one goes for Sh800.