In a hard-hitting statement, SASCOC has claimed the deal would be better used on national teams touring overseas, as this would be an ideal billboard for the country rather than an English football team.

"The South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee, has noted the media reports and subsequent statements on the planned South African Tourism's three-year proposed R1-billion deal with the London-based football club, Tottenham Hotspur," the SASCOC statement read.

"SASCOC fundamentally disagrees with SAT that this is the best way of using sport as a means to attract more tourists to our country.

"The magnitude of the investment is not only proportional to the investment our government is making to sport in our country but what SAT is investing to support sports events taking place in our country.

"Our members have expressed absolute outrage and disagreement at South African Tourism's stance on the matter.

"We are of the firm view that SAT should be promoting and funding international sport events within the country's borders and supporting Team South Africa to fly our flag on international platforms instead of sponsoring an English football club."

SASCOC President Barry Hendricks added: "The year 2023 has a variety of international sports events being hosted in South Africa.

"These include the Under-19 Women's Cricket World Cup, Netball International Quad Series, Table Tennis World Contender Cup, Table Tennis World Cup, Women's T20 Cricket World Cup, Indoor Hockey World Cup and Netball World Cup, to mention just a few.

"We are of the view that a fraction of this investment channelled towards these events could better help bring more visitors and promote our country as a sports destination of choice.

"SASCOC firmly believes that sports tourism is a critical vehicle for promoting our country as well as attracting visitors to our shores.

"Our view is that a collaborative effort that seeks to invest in events in our country to attract more visitors, whilst at the same time investing to improve infrastructure, alongside using all our national teams touring outside of the country, amongst other things, would be a better way to achieve the intended objectives and provide much broader returns.

"We will seek to engage with South African Tourism to constructively engage with other stakeholders, on how sport can be best used as a vehicle to increase tourist numbers to our country."

The proposed deal came to light after the leaked details of the agreement were published by online news outlet Daily Maverick.

Amid the public outcry, three SAT Board members resigned with immediate effect on Friday (February 3) as it scrambled to justify the propose sponsorship deal with the London-based club.

The Board’s acting chief executive Themba Khumalo maintained that the proposed deal was not about the football, but rather audiences that the Premier League attracts around the world.

"The Board made a conditional approval [of the sponsorship deal] because it commercially makes sense, but it needs communication with the stakeholders to make sure they’re aligned," Khumalo said.

"The money that is invested in tourism isn’t money that’s required for other needs in the country.

"There are departments that are dedicated to that.

"Our deal has nothing to do with football because [we want] to access the viewers who watch football to have them become part of the travelling market to South Africa.

"The stakeholders were not engaged because we were going to do so before the leak came out."