BMW Group South Africa lends its name and influence to South Africa’s oldest and most prestigious golf tournament.

BMW Group South Africa lends its name and influence to South Africa’s oldest and most prestigious golf tournament.

• BMW G roup South Africa and SA Open Championship partner for the BMW SA Open Championship 2016 hosted by the City of Ekurhuleni. 
• BMW also becomes the official vehicle partner to the Sunshine Tour.

Midrand – South Africa’s oldest golf tournament – and the world’s second oldest Open Championship – will now officially be known as the BMW SA Open Championship. The tournament, which celebrates its 105th anniversary in 2016, is joining forces with the luxury German automaker which is one of the professional game’s most significant sponsors on a global level.

BMW has a long history of being involved in sports which require a unique combination of power, precision and efficiency to succeed. Globally, BMW has been a significant partner of professional golf since 1989 with signature tournaments on almost all of the major PGA tours worldwide. The title partnership for the BMW SA Open Championship underlines the particularly strong link to the PGA European Tour, which BMW supports as “Official Partner”.

“Sports such as motorsport, sailing and golf are key global sponsorship pillars for the BMW brand. With this in mind, this local sponsorship initiative – which mirrors the brand’s global sponsorship strategy – sees BMW become the overall naming rights partner of the SA Open Championship. In addition, it gives the brand the opportunity to consolidate its position in golf with a signature event that we hope will grow over time to become the biggest professional event in South African golf,” said Tim Abbott, Managing Director, BMW Group South Africa.

At the same time, BMW will become the official vehicle partner to the Sunshine Tour. “We will be providing vehicles for the tour officials to deliver a world-class professional golf series in South Africa, as well as the opportunity to activate our brand at all Sunshine Tour official tournaments should we wish to do so,” added Abbott.

BMW has always seen itself as a long-term, reliable partner in every area of its business and always looks to create long-term partnerships – globally, its involvement with professional golf extends more than 27 years and locally the company’s involvement in the BMW International Polo Series spans over almost three decades.

“We have signed a three-year deal with the Sunshine Tour in the current format and are confident that this will be the start of a very long and successful engagement with the world’s second oldest Open Championship,” concluded Abbott.

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For queries on this media release, please contact BMW South Africa’s Group Communications Division as follows:

Mr Diederik Reitsma

General Manager: Group Communications

BMW Group South Africa (Pty) Ltd

Tel: +27-12-522-2525

Mobile: +27-71-666-2525

Email: Diederik.Reitsma@bmw.co.za

Or

Ms Lindsay Pieterse

Manager: Planning, Steering and Lifestyle Communications

BMW Group South Africa (Pty) Ltd

Tel: +27-12-522-2210

Mobile: +27-83-297-1240

E-Mail: Lindsay.pieterse@bmw.co.za

The BMW Group

With its three brands BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce, the BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium financial and mobility services. As a global company, the BMW Group operates 30 production and assembly facilities in 14 countries and has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.

In 2014, the BMW Group sold approximately 2.118 million cars and 123,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax for the financial year 2014 was approximately € 8.71 billion on revenues amounting to € 80.40 billion. As of 31 December 2014, the BMW Group had a workforce of 116,324 employees.

The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term thinking and responsible action. The company has therefore established ecological and social sustainability throughout the value chain, comprehensive product responsibility and a clear commitment to conserving resources as an integral part of its strategy.

Internet:                 www.bmw.co.za / www.bmwgroup.com

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