2024 Year in Review: Project Updates by Month

Introduction

2024 was a remarkable year for African athletes and our collective efforts at Protouch Africa and Podium Pursuit. We witnessed groundbreaking achievements, historic wins, and significant growth in our community. This newsletter offers a month-by-month recap of key events, accomplishments, and milestones that defined the year. From world record-breaking performances to expanding our athlete profiles and user base, this year has been one for the books.

January 2024

Dubai Marathon Success: January set the stage for the year with the Dubai Marathon, where African athletes completely dominated the event. In the women’s category, Ethiopia’s Tigist Ketema made history by securing a World Record along with the gold medal. Her compatriots, Ruti Aga and Dera Dida, completed the all-Ethiopian podium by taking silver and bronze, respectively. The men’s race saw a similar Ethiopian sweep, with Addisu Gobena clinching the gold medal, continuing the nation’s dominance in long-distance running.
Valencia 10km Marathon: Over in Spain, the Valencia 10km Marathon saw another world record being shattered, this time by Kenya’s Agnes Ngetich. The race was marked by an all-African podium in the women’s category and significant African representation in the men’s category, where 2 out of 3 podium spots were claimed by African athletes.
Mumbai Marathon & Gangwon Youth Olympics: The Mumbai Marathon added to Africa’s golden streak with both men’s and women’s gold medals being won by African runners. Meanwhile, at the Gangwon Youth Olympics, Tunisia’s bobsleigh team made history by securing Africa’s only medal at the games—a silver, highlighting the continent’s growing presence in winter sports.
Meeting de l’Eure: African athletes continued their medal-winning streak at the Meeting de l’Eure, bringing home 4 golds, 2 silvers, and 3 bronze medals. This event showcased the continent’s diverse athletic talent across multiple disciplines.
Hockey5s World Cup: South Africa’s women’s Hockey5s team made a significant impact at the inaugural Hockey5s World Cup, narrowly missing out on a medal by placing 4th. This was a major achievement, considering the fierce competition. Protouch Africa and Podium Pursuit were instrumental in supporting the team’s participation by launching a successful crowdfunding campaign that raised over half a million rand, ensuring the girls could compete on the world stage.
Partnership with Tickaroo & AFCON Blog Development: Our partnership with Tickaroo was in full swing, enhancing our ability to cover and report on African sports. Additionally, we began building an AFCON blog, which will serve as a comprehensive resource for African football fans.
Athlete Profiles and App Growth:

By the end of January, we had built and imported a total of 2,515 athlete profiles, with 9 profiles being claimed by athletes themselves.
Our app user count reached 591, reflecting a growing community engaged with our platform.

February 2024

World Aquatics Championships: February was marked by African success in the pool at the World Aquatics Championships. South Africa’s Pieter Coetzee made a splash by winning a bronze medal, while Egypt’s Maha Eissa also claimed a bronze, showcasing Africa’s emerging talent in competitive swimming.
Classic Shoot Out: On the track, Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo broke a world record and secured a gold medal at the Classic Shoot Out competition. South Africa’s Akani Simbine also had a stellar performance, winning gold and setting a new national record. Additionally, Viwe Jinhqi brought home gold while setting another national record, further solidifying Africa’s prowess in athletics.
Tour du Rwanda Blog: The Tour du Rwanda blog we launched in February with Tickaroo, was a major success, drawing in a significant number of followers and new app users. The blog provided in-depth coverage of the race, capturing the excitement and achievements of African cyclists.
Athlete Profiles and App Growth:

By the end of February, a total of 15 athlete profiles were claimed, marking steady growth in athlete engagement.
Our app user base grew to 641 users, continuing the upward trend from January.

March 2024

African Games: March was a month of glory for African athletes at the African Games. Egypt led the medal tally with an impressive haul of 193 medals, followed by Nigeria with 121, Algeria with 115, South Africa with 106, and Tunisia with 87. These results highlight the continent’s depth of talent across various sports, with athletes from different nations stepping up to the podium.
World Indoor Championships: At the World Indoor Championships, African athletes claimed 8 medals in total, including 3 golds, 2 silvers, and 3 bronzes. These performances further underscored Africa’s competitive edge in indoor track and field events.
Tokyo Marathon: The Tokyo Marathon was another showcase of African dominance, with athletes from the continent winning the gold medals in both the men’s and women’s categories. This continued the trend of African excellence in long-distance running on the global stage.
Athlete Profiles and App Growth:

During March, we imported 560 more athlete profiles, bringing the total number of built and ready-to-be-claimed profiles to 3,075.
The number of claimed athlete profiles rose to 25, showing increasing engagement from the athletes.
Our community continued to grow, with an app user count reflecting this momentum.

April 2024

Marathon Dominance: April was another strong month for African athletes in marathon events. The Boston Marathon saw an all-African podium once again, with Ethiopian and Kenyan runners dominating. Similarly, at the Rotterdam Marathon, 5 of the 6 podium spots were secured by Africans, and the London Marathon also saw 5 out of 6 podium spots claimed by African athletes. These performances further established Africa’s superiority in marathon running.
South African Nationals: April was also significant for domestic competitions, with South Africa hosting its Nationals for both swimming and track. These events brought new talent to the forefront, highlighting the depth and future potential of South African athletes.
BAL & Kalahari Conference: Our team actively participated in the Kalahari Conference in Pretoria, a key event for networking and building partnerships. This month also saw the launch of our partnership with the Cape Town Tigers, one of the leading basketball teams in Africa. In conjunction, we started a dedicated blog for the BAL (Basketball Africa League) series, covering each game live and providing fans with detailed insights and updates.
Athlete Profiles and App Growth:

We identified and added over 700 athletes to a newly started import sheet, primarily focusing on those identified from the African Games.
The number of claimed athlete profiles reached 36, reflecting growing athlete engagement with our platform.
Our app user count climbed to 688, as more users joined the community to follow the latest updates on African athletes.

May 2024

Diamond League & World Athletics Relays: The Diamond League series kicked off at the end of April, and we promptly launched a dedicated blog to cover this prestigious track and field event. The World Athletics Relays in May were a highlight, with Botswana’s team winning a gold medal. Numerous athletes also qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympics during these events, setting the stage for an exciting Olympic season.
Athlete Profiles and App Growth:

By the end of May, 41 athlete profiles had been claimed, indicating continued growth in athlete participation on our platform.
Our app user base expanded to 710 users, reflecting the increasing interest in our content and services.

June 2024

Athlete Ambassador Akani Simbine: June was a significant month as we secured Akani Simbine, one of South Africa’s top sprinters, as an athlete ambassador for our program. We immediately began building and populating his athlete blog, which will provide fans with exclusive content and updates on his career.
#Paris2024 Blog: With the Paris 2024 Olympics on the horizon, we launched the #Paris2024 blog. The blog is being populated with content related to the upcoming Olympics, including profiles of qualified athletes, event previews, and other relevant information.
Merch Campaign Launch: We also launched a merchandise campaign this month, featuring branded gear that celebrates African athletic achievements. The campaign has been well-received, helping to boost our brand presence and engage with our community.
Social Media Growth: By the end of June, we had reached 1.5k followers on Instagram, a milestone that reflects our growing influence on social media.
Athlete Profiles:

44 athlete profiles had been claimed by the end of June, showing consistent growth in athlete engagement.

July 2024

#Paris2024 Campaign Launch: July marked the official launch of our #Paris2024 campaign, which included a dedicated blog covering the event in depth. The blog documented the many world records that were broken and the multitude of achievements by African athletes at the Paris Olympics. We managed to identify and collect data on an additional 335 athletes from Paris, which are slated to be imported into our system by September/October.
Athlete Profiles and App Growth:

The number of claimed athlete profiles increased to 53, as more athletes began to engage with our platform in anticipation of the Paris Olympics.
Our app user count grew to 851, reflecting heightened interest in our Olympic coverage and athlete profiles.

August 2024

#Paris2024 Campaign Wrap-Up: August saw the conclusion of our #Paris2024 campaign, which highlighted numerous world records and achievements by African athletes. The campaign was a major success, generating significant engagement from our audience. For a comprehensive overview of the achievements, please refer to our Paris Wrap-Up article.
Paralympics Blog Launch: With the conclusion of the Olympics, we shifted our focus to the Paralympics, launching a dedicated blog to cover the event and highlight the accomplishments of African Paralympic athletes.
Paris POAP Collaboration: In collaboration with Paris POAP, we launched a “Claim Your Badge” campaign, encouraging users to collect exclusive digital badges to commemorate their support of African athletes at the Paris Olympics. These badges have been added to our shop and are now available for purchase.
Athlete Profiles and App Growth:

An additional 197 athlete profiles were imported in August, bringing the total number of built and ready-to-be-claimed profiles to 3,272.
The number of claimed athlete profiles reached 57, showing continued growth in athlete participation.
Our app user count increased to 863, indicating ongoing community engagement and interest in our platform.

Conclusion

2024 has been an extraordinary year filled with historic moments, record-breaking performances, and substantial growth in our community. Our efforts at Protouch Africa and Podium Pursuit have made a tangible impact in promoting and supporting African athletes, and we are excited to build on this momentum as we look ahead to 2025. We are grateful for your continued support and look forward to another year of celebrating African athletic excellence.

Brought to you by

PROTOUCH AFRICA is a purpose-led and Sports Tech business founded in 2016 with a focus on enabling African Athletes to perform on the World Stage.

It is pioneering new ways for fans to interact and engage with their favourite teams, leagues, and athletes and enable alternative revenue streams.

ProTouch Africa’s Podium Pursuit Project is focused on creating a transparent and sustainable funding mechanism for the next generation of African Athletes. Its vision is to launch the World’s first fan-owned impact investment platform for African Athletes in 2024 by assembling an ecosystem of top-performing athletes, their fans, and the brands that support them.