KAMPALA — Businesses across Uganda and the wider African continent are being urged to position themselves early for one of the biggest commercial opportunities linked to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations tournament, after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) officially opened a supplier registration process ahead of the competition.
The process, announced during a press briefing at the Uganda Media Centre by Dr Dennis K. Mugimba, Chairperson of the Communications and Promotion Sub-Committee for the AFCON/CHAN PAMOJA Local Organising Committee, is intended to help CAF identify potential companies that may later compete for tournament-related contracts.
The exercise comes as Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania intensify preparations to jointly host CAF AFCON PAMOJA 2027, the first time East Africa will stage the continent’s biggest football tournament in modern history.
According to the organisers, CAF has issued what is known as a Request for Information, or RFI, targeting potential suppliers of goods and services across Africa and beyond.
An RFI is not yet a tender or a contract award. Instead, it is an early information-gathering exercise used by institutions to identify companies capable of supplying products or services before formal procurement begins.
“CAF is asking for reputable potential suppliers of various goods or services to express interest by first registering with CAF through completing and submitting a Request for Information so that they are included in the database of prospective suppliers,” Mugimba said.
The process matters because only suppliers that complete the registration through CAF’s official platform will later receive notifications about actual tenders once procurement officially begins.
Officials warned that businesses failing to register now may miss future opportunities tied to the tournament.
The supplier categories reveal the enormous scale of AFCON preparations.
CAF is seeking information from companies involved in catering, ticketing systems, broadcasting, translation services, transport and logistics, digital services, branding, hospitality, accommodation, event operations, IT solutions, signage, fan zone management and equipment supply.
This means opportunities could emerge not only for large multinational firms but also for Ugandan hotels, transport operators, printing companies, event managers, internet providers and technology firms.
The registration process also reflects how modern football tournaments have evolved into large economic ecosystems extending far beyond sports.
AFCON tournaments now require massive investments in hospitality, security, transport, digital infrastructure, accommodation and media operations. Host countries often view the competitions not only as sporting events but also as economic and tourism opportunities capable of attracting investment and international visibility.
Mugimba clarified, however, that the current process strictly concerns procurement managed directly by CAF rather than the Ugandan Local Organising Committee itself.
“This Request for Information is strictly about services and goods being procured by CAF and NOT the Local Organising Committee,” he said.
He added that the Ugandan organising committee will later issue separate procurement processes specifically for services to be delivered within Uganda.
CAF also stressed that the current exercise does not involve any registration fees.
“This RFI is being issued for purposes of market-mapping only and does not constitute an invitation to tender, request for proposal, request for quotation, or any commitment by CAF,” the organisers said.
The warning appears intended to protect businesses from fraudsters who often exploit major international events by demanding fake registration payments.
Beyond corporate suppliers, organisers are also encouraging property owners to begin preparing accommodation facilities early.
The Local Organising Committee repeated earlier guidance urging hotel owners, hostel operators, apartment managers and private homeowners interested in tourism accommodation to seek accreditation guidance from the Uganda Tourism Board.
“This is the right time for homeowners and proprietors of prospective tourist private accommodation facilities such as apartments and hostels, who would like to offer tourist accommodation services such as Airbnb or Booking.com, to find out more information on how to attain listing as a service provider,” Mugimba said.
He cautioned that becoming an accredited accommodation provider involves formal assessment processes and quality standards.
“You do not become an Airbnb or Booking.com service provider by simply referring to yourself as one,” he added.
For many Ugandan businesses, the announcement signals the beginning of what could become one of the country’s largest sports-driven commercial opportunities in decades.