The South African Tourism Board has withdrawn a €51m proposal to sponsor football team Tottenham Hotspur, after the country’s Minister of Tourism, Patricia de Lille, declared the deal to be “unlawful and invalid”. The proposal was part of a wider plan to convert Premier Soccer League audience members into visitors to South Africa. De Lille has stated that all future proposals must be carefully considered, with due consideration given to potential impact on the country’s economy, exploration of multiple options and prioritising of all proposals. The private sector is said to have largely opposed the Spurs deal.