Joyce Kapota, an elected member of the ZIFA (Zimbabwe Football Association) Restructuring Committee, has been fighting for more than a decade to change stereotypes in a sexist system, burdened by superstitions and ancestral rituals that do not allow women to progress in football simply because of their gender
Joyce Kapota is a woman accustomed to breaking the mold, one of those people convinced that great changes must start with oneself. As the only girl in a family with four brothers, she entered the world of football without hesitation when the first opportunity arose, an unlikely thing in a country like Zimbabwe where opportunities for women in a world that is evidently sexist are rather scarce.
Joyce was working as a guest relations front office at a hotel in her hometown of Harare. Sean Connor, Irish coach of CAPS United FC, a Zimbabwe Premier Soccer League (PSL) club, saw in her the ability and drive the club was looking for to head up its communications department. She joined the club in 2012 and, since then, the world of football has been her main battleground.
Now 36, Joyce has been building her career in Zimbabwean football, arming herself with the courage and tools to shake up people’s consciences, asking uncomfortable questions of male-run management committees, opening doors that had long been closed, and raising her voice in women’s football as one of the country’s most active sports administrators. Today, she runs her own consultancy, Amor’Sport, sits on the board of a women’s PSL club as head of its commercial unit, is vice-chair of the Zimbabwe National Sports Awards jury, and is a member of the CAF (Confederation of African Football) Club Licensing Compliance Committee, to name but a few of her many professional roles. Her academic background is also impressive. She holds FIFA Level 1 coaching and grassroots coaching qualifications, and is a graduate of Nelson Mandela University’s FIFA-CIES Executive Programme in Sport Management. And in 2023, she added the Johan Cruyff Institute’s Online Master’s Degree in Sport Business with specialization in Sport Marketing and Sponsorship to her stellar résumé. In that, too, she has been a pioneer, as our first Zimbabwean graduate.
Wrapped in a large Zimbabwean flag and with beaming with pride and emotion, Joyce received her diploma at the graduation ceremony on October 20. “This degree has been the highlight of my career. It has equipped me with unimaginable tools for sport management,” she says. It was her first time in Europe, her first trip to Barcelona, the first time she saw with her own eyes how a European football club is managed… What she took back to Zimbabwe goes far beyond her degree, it was an experience that exceeded all her expectations.
We spoke with Joyce about her entry into the world of football, her desire to improve things, and everything she wants to change by taking the initiative. It is undeniable that women’s football is taking advantage of the opportunities for exposure to claim its value, not only as a sport, but also as a model for the inclusion of women athletes who are capturing the attention of an increasingly heterogeneous public. But it is also true that the greatness of women’s football is like a prism that lets in less light depending on the country from which it is viewed. Zimbabwe is one of them.
Joyce graduated from the online master’s degree in Sport Business this year as our first Zimbabwean graduate.
In more than a decade working in the world of football in Zimbabwe, you have had to break down many barriers. Which have been and continue to be the most difficult?
The biggest challenge in Zimbabwean sport, especially in Zimbabwean football, is simply being a woman in a male-dominated industry. I worked for a Premier Football club, and there were certain areas and club rituals I could not participate in for only one reason, that I am a woman. This made my work harder as I could not function properly, as the limitations affected my work. The beliefs and stereotypes that women will interfere in or destabilize the team spirit and momentum during match day needs to be seriously debunked in Zimbabwean football.
What beliefs are you referring to?
You will not find many women working in men’s football due to what they term ‘African football rituals’ or ‘Juju’, which exclude women from participating in many football club traditions. Like a few other women who work in men’s teams, I was barred from certain things such as stepping onto the turf, getting onto the team bus, touching the kits, setting foot in changing rooms even on non-match days. Out of curiosity, I asked why women are excluded and I was informed that it is because of our menstrual blood that is considered dirty and that it hinders ‘Juju powers’. They say they do not want the task of consistently asking whether a woman is menstruating or not, so the easy thing is to put a permanent ban on them touching or going near team items, or taking part in team traditions, especially on match day. You cannot imagine how that limits your movements, freedom and creativity. Especially on match day!
“Working in men’s football, I was barred from certain things such as stepping onto the turf, getting onto the team bus, touching the kits, setting foot in changing rooms even on non-match days due to ‘African football rituals’ or ‘Juju'”
That is why I feel there has to be continuous education in football on breaking stereotypes and belief systems that block women’s progress. This includes the participation of women in high offices of power where decisions are made and the need for continuous education in our African communities on breaking harmful traditional beliefs.
How did you manage to cope with these barriers?
I overcame them by looking up to powerful women in sport who overcame challenges and had to push back in many situations. These examples include Serena Williams, Misty Copeland and Fatma Samoura, etc. When we look for inspiration, we tend to look at someone who resembles ourselves. There has been a number of women of colour who have fought back and trailblazed the way for us. I hope I can inspire the next generation of young girls who want to venture into sport. I hope they can look at my struggles and find the strength to go on. It is not an easy space to occupy, as many a time you have to exhaust all your PR skills and use all your wisdom to handle situations better. It is an industry where you have to consistently prove your worth and knowledge as most come with a lot of pre-conceived ideas about women in sport.
I have been an administrator at one of the top football clubs in Zimbabwe and I’ve recently been appointed to a national committee to restructure football. I also intend to use my enhanced sports administration skills to ensure that various sporting codes are introduced into communities to enable ordinary citizens to participate in sports.
My hope is that my presence in sport will act as a clarion call to other women, and that they too can make it in industries traditionally considered male domains. In my mid-thirties, unmarried and with no children, this is something that is frowned upon in my African community, but I hope I can inspire young girls so that they too can pursue uncharted territories. It is sad that many aspire to getting married and get into early child marriages with no self-development and without setting any career goals.
When did you realize that you wanted to work professionally in the sports industry?
I worked in a hotel’s front office and an Irish coach called Sean Connor asked me to join the team CAPS United FC as they were recruiting. He asked to submit my CV with the team, as they needed a communications manager. That is how I joined the club in 2012 and I’ve been in football ever since.
As a former hotel worker, I had no sporting qualifications and I then made a decision to understand the technical and administration sides of football. I started with my Coaching Level 1 and FIFA grassroots coaching courses. I then enrolled at Nelson Mandela University for the FIFA-CIES Executive Programme in Sport Management. To distinguish myself, I eventually applied to Johan Cruyff Institute to study the Online Master in Sport Business with specialization in Sport Marketing and Sponsorship. This qualification has been the highlight of my career as it gave me unimaginable tools for sport management.
“The Master in Sport Business at Johan Cruyff Institute has been the highlight of my career as it gave me unimaginable tools for sport management”
There are few women wielding real power in sport, as most women’s positions tend to be ceremonial. Now that the world is pushing for diversity and equality there are positions being made to satisfy those quota system requirements, but with no commitment to real equity. But we remain cautiously optimistic!
The last FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand broke all records again, how do you in Zimbabwe see this growth?
It was exciting to see all the numbers and changes. Women’s football is indeed moving in the right direction, actually in leaps and bounds. Locally, we are coming from a FIFA suspension and our women’s football is starting to see the light. Our women’s league does not have any sponsors and teams find it very difficult to play full seasons. Many teams have dropped out mid-season and become dysfunctional. Seeing such figures at the World Cup gives us hope that one day our fortunes will change for the better. The world is pushing for equality and we hope women’s football will eventually receive funding and support from both the government and other stakeholders.
“Our women’s league does not have any sponsors and teams find it very difficult to play full seasons. As one of the top football administrators in Zimbabwe, I feel I need to employ my skills to raise the women’s football brand”
In 2020, you were appointed to the board of a women’s football club as the head of their commercial unit. What have you found?
I have worked in men’s football since 2012 and always wondered why the women’s game was not as prevalent in Zimbabwe or on a par with the men’s game. When I attended the inaugural board meeting, I was blown away by the issues I enquired about that I knew a player should have like, for example, monthly salary, match day meal and playing allowance. I was shocked to learn that in women’s football all those privileges were a luxury and unheard of. On enquiring about TV rights and stadium rights, I was informed that women’s PSL matches were played on school football fields and there were no stadium and broadcast rights.
“At my first meeting as a board member of a women’s football club, I was informed that women’s PSL matches were played on school football fields and there were no stadium and broadcast rights”
In many developed countries, the playing field has been levelled but in Zimbabwe, women do not receive the same honor and privileges that men receive on and off the playing field. As one of the top football administrators in Zimbabwe, I feel I need to employ my skills to raise the women’s football brand. Most of my case studies in my modules came from researching women’s football activities across the world and I feel that I have a duty and responsibility to apply the same to my country.
The women’s game is equally as competitive but, due to lack of resources, strategy and competence, the women’s game lags behind. A number of corporate sponsors have expressed the need to partner with the women’s league but because it is not well marketed, with no information and fixtures on display they often do not know who and how to approach it. I hope that through my work we can start documenting our stories, as African history often gets lost due to lack of proper profiling and digital archiving. My hope is that my efforts will start a domino effect leading to more projects and visibility for women in football and potential sponsors of women’s sport.
Where do we have to start to reverse this situation so that football can grow from the grassroots level?
The situation in Zimbabwean women’s football is structural, as there is lack of structures from the grassroots level to the elite level. Poor corporate governance, lack of processes and accountability are our major challenges. Our neighbors in South Africa are doing very well in terms of women’s football and the secret to their success was an intentional strategy to develop women’s football, which we lack here. We need to start having uncomfortable discussions around this area. My master’s final project was on how we can raise awareness of Zimbabwean women’s football, and I found that we lack a digital footprint, among other problems. We need to market our brand and players on the internet so that they can get recognition and opportunities in foreign leagues. There is a need for competent and accountable leadership from people who understand modern styles of football management.
“The situation in Zimbabwean women’s football is structural, as there is lack of structures from the grassroots level to the elite level. Poor corporate governance, lack of processes and accountability are our major challenges. There is a need for competent and accountable leadership from people who understand modern styles of football management”
Sport is plagued with some fundamental problems, chief of which in my view is gender inequality. In Zimbabwe, for example, the women’s national team fares much better than the men’s team, routinely winning the matches they play. However, despite all the positive performance, the women’s team receives virtually no funding or support. Sport should be a platform to transform mindsets around the world, which view women in an inferior way. Using its massive impact and transcending influence, sport should foster equality and give marginalized sections of society an opportunity to overcome limitations caused by societal norms.
I have also wondered about the female emotional landscape and social conditioning that make women reluctant to seek a position in sport. For example, of the 72 CAF A elite license football coaches in Zimbabwe, only one is a woman.
FIFA distributes money to the federations, but they are not obliged to use it for the intended purpose. That money does not, in most cases, go to women’s football, does it?
A recent example is the Nigerian women’s team, the Super Falcons. At the Women’s World Cup (August 2023), they staged a sit-in and FIFA and FIFPRO had to intervene and pay their allowances directly into the players’ accounts. This was a first for FIFA and should be an embarrassment to the Nigerian football federation. The Super Falcons are Africa’s most successful international women’s team, winning the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) a record nine times and qualifying to all nine Women’s World Cups. Imagine how much more they could achieve if given the best conditions and support.
Unfortunately, this is not an unusual occurrence in African football, and it sets a bad example even in attracting sponsorship. Mismanagement, poor governance and a lack of accountability often rear their ugly heads in our football, impacting negatively on and off the pitch. We have Women in Football WhatsApp groups where the outcry is often about how money meant for women’s football development is often redirected towards paying off federation debts and purchasing expensive vehicles for executives. And it seems this happens to many African football federations. Many will agree that it is incumbent to start taking women’s football seriously.
In 2010, the Men’s FIFA World Cup was held in South Africa. The country will be bidding to host the next Women’s World Cup in 2027 together with Brazil, Mexico and a joint candidacy of Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany. What legacy did the 2010 World Cup leave and what would it mean for women’s football to have a World Cup there?
I remember quitting my hotel job in Zimbabwe in 2010 and heading to South Africa, as everyone wanted to get closer to the action. The experience was euphoric and everything changed to the World Cup theme, including restaurant menus and street signage. It was an exhilarating experience at the stadiums and in the streets of South Africa. The amount of infrastructure development that was brought about by the World Cup and the tourism boost was astounding. South Africa is our neighbor and has a direct impact on our country. The tourism boom in South Africa resulted in a rise in tourism in Zimbabwe as well, especially at Victoria Falls and in places closer to the Zimbabwean-South African border.
In 2018, when I went to South Africa for my FIFA-CIES studies, that was when I was fully exposed to the vast infrastructural developments and the enormous stadium facilities. During our Events module, we visited the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium and I was overwhelmed by what I experienced.
In 2020, Zimbabwean stadiums were barred by CAF as they failed to meet the requirements. We also do not have any stadiums with executive suites. In South Africa, they have state-of-the-art stadium facilities and I got to experience the luxuries of a stadium VVIP suite and other comforts that I never knew a stadium might have. The luxury and amenities I saw in the stadium facilities were remarkable. Most were superior and surpassed what I had seen in the five-star hotels where I had worked in back in Zimbabwe.
In my opinion, it would be good for South Africa to jointly host the Women’s World Cup as they have the facilities. In fact, most of them have turned into white elephants due to scarcity of events. The South African federation and government have also invested in their women’s football and they play exciting football coupled with an excellent branding and marketing approach.
Zimbabwe is a country where men have the power, but for the first time in the country, all the main sport bodies are led by women. To what do you attribute this change and how do you see the future?
There have been voices calling for equality over the past few years and steps that have been made to empower female leaders. We also have a few women sport leaders who we look up to that have paved the way for us. It is also a way the locals are heeding the international call to give everyone a chance and not discriminate according to gender. In this regard, so many international organizations have done a lot of work, especially the United Nations. The world has become one global village due to the rapid digitalization, and ongoing workshops debunking many beliefs, and it is exciting that Zimbabwe is moving towards those goals. It is positive that mindsets are slowly changing in terms of gender inclusion.
Joyce founded and runs Amor’Sport, a multi-sport organization that leverages the power of sport for community development.
You yourself founded and run the Amor’Sport consultancy. Tell me more about it. What is your mission and what current and future projects do you have?
We are a multi-sport organization that leverages the power of sport for community development. Having worked in sport for the past 11 years I felt I had seen all the opportunities in sport, and where we lag behind as a country in terms of making our sport more professional and opening up avenues for women to perform on the same stage as men. As well as trying to address the huge disparities between women and men in sport, and in society in general.
“People must be given an opportunity to pursue their dreams regardless of their gender. The ideals of Amor’Sport represents some of who I am and my personal beliefs”
I wanted to create a platform for safe spaces where vulnerable groups could seek help, advice and be heard. Our present task is more one of advocacy and we have created a space to celebrate women’s achievements and to amplify their voices. To give them a voice and a language to address their experiences, however diverse they may be. I hope my work continues to give women the language they ned to be their true authentic selves. The gender issue in sport not only needs women to support it but for men to come on board, as women’s stories are largely unfamiliar to men. People must be given an opportunity to pursue their dreams regardless of their gender. The ideals of Amor’Sport represents some of who I am and my personal beliefs.
How did you get to know Johan Cruyff Institute and decide to do the master’s degree with us?
I had always been fascinated by the legend of Johan Cruyff, his philosophies, his style of leadership both as a player and a coach. Imagine how he impacted a girl from Zimbabwe to want to travel all the way to Europe to study at his institute. It teaches you how one person can make an international impact and how they can positively impact millions of people without even realizing it.
“In the world of football management, the weight of an institution matters and where better than the Johan Cruyff Institute. I am grateful that now I am part of the Johan Cruyff academic legacy!”
I applied to the Institute because it is of high prestige, given the illustrious alumni. The knowledge and empowerment which I received from the program was in line with my professional goals and will greatly equip me to achieve my objectives. This elite program helped to consolidate my professional experience and qualifications in a way that added value to my community. In the world of football management, the weight of an institution matters and where better than Johan Cruyff Institute. I am grateful that now I am part of the Johan Cruyff academic legacy!
How would you describe your experience and what role has the master’s played in your personal growth and as a sport management professional?
The modules I had, challenged my thinking capacity and opened my eyes to how sport is managed on an international level. When I started, I was highly depressed, as I had just lost my father to Covid 19. He was my best friend and a tower of strength and I was not coping well without him. I thank Lukas Dorda who pushed me and was patient with me, even though he did not realize what I was going through. My studies pushed me out of my depression.
“I want to change mindsets of African communities towards women’s participation in sport and also how families can accept it as a viable career path”
The master’s program broadened my horizons and taught me to think critically about various issues in the sphere of sport. I now have a better appreciation and grasp of the key skills that are necessary for the efficient administration of sport. It further developed my skills and expertise in sport marketing and sponsorship. I now have a comprehensive view of how sport is run internationally and profitably. The exposure I have acquired has shaped my ideas on areas that need development. I want to change mindsets of African communities towards women’s participation in sport and also how families can accept it as a viable career path.
Joyce had a “transformative” experience on her visit to Barcelona for the graduation. She was able to see with her own eyes everything she had studied on the master’s degree.
You decided to come to Barcelona for your graduation and I don’t think you’ll ever forget that experience, will you?
Oh wow, I left my heart in Barcelona. The experience was transformational as I got to see and experience Europe for the first time. I also got to visit the Estadi Olimpic stadium and watched a EUFA match. It was FC Barcelona vs Shakhtar Donetsk. I also went to the Barça Immersive Tour. And those experiences are as precious as gold to a football enthusiast like myself. I got to see Barcelona for the first time because of Johan Cruyff, to which ordinarily I would never have had the chance to travel. The experience of traveling to Spain and the rich heritage, infrastructure and memories I will carry for a lifetime, and it was unimaginable blessing. As the first Zimbabwean to graduate with a master’s degree from Johan Cruyff Institute and carrying my national flag at the graduation ceremony, that will forever be my proudest moment.
“I am trying to find ways on how I can use the knowledge gained to change and influence my local economy. Education is very important and now I see opportunities and diverse ways of solving things”
Coming to Barcelona, I wanted to experience all that I had studied in my modules and watched on YouTube, as there are stark differences between our football and European football. I soon discovered that we are decades behind and worlds apart, as they have managed to turn it into a multi-billion industry and intertwined it with the service industries. We have known these facts for years but it is on another dimension to get to experience it firsthand. The match day experience, infrastructure, merchandise, service delivery, transport system and fan engagement blew my mind!
What are your plans for the future?
I am trying to find ways on how I can use the knowledge gained to change and influence my local economy. Education is very important and now I see opportunities and diverse ways of solving things. I want to lead sport at the highest level, influencing policy and strategy at continental and regional level. It is my wish, however, to work for bigger organizations such as FIFA, CAF, COSAFA and the UN.
I want to grow the Amor’Sport brand, especially gaining more traction in local communities, so it can be in the lead in the fight against so many societal norms and stereotypes that hinder women from getting opportunities.
