Nomads, Bullets replica sales gather momentum
Domestic football powerhouses FCB Nyasa Bullets and Mighty Wanderers’ replica jerseys’ business is gaining momentum having sold out their respective first consignments of the current season.
Bullets have sold 7 000 shirts that hit the market at the start of the season while the Nomads sold their initial 4 000 shipment and have added another 2 000 pieces.
The People’s Team’s cheapest replica jersey was selling at K30 000 while the costliest was at K65 000, meaning they have made not less than K210 million from the sales.
On the other hand, Wanderers’ cheapest blue jersey is pegged at K30 000 while the white one sells at K35 000, translating to an average of K130 million for the first consignment.
By press time yesterday, Silver Strikers had not responded to our questionnaire on how they are fairing on the market.

In an interview, Bullets acting chief executive officer Albert Chigoga attributed the success to the team’s impressive start to the season and “vigorous marketing initiatives”.
He said: “Four months after hitting the market, all the 7 000 pieces that we ordered have been sold and as we speak, we don’t have any.
“It shows that our marketing strategy is working and that the supporters are happy with how the team is performing.”
Chigoga said they are currently working on ordering the second consignment.
On the other hand, Wanderers brands and marketing manager Greyson Chapita said: “There has been good progress so far which aligns well with the vision and strategic direction we’ve taken in our commercialisation drive with guidance from the club president Dr. Thomson Mpinganjia and the board through our commercialisation directorate.
“We began the season with a stock of about 4 000 replica jerseys and just a few weeks ago, we added another 2 000 pieces to meet the growing demand. As the season continues, we remain optimistic about restocking further to meet supporter needs.”
Chapita added that the Nomads have also introduced additional merchandise such as caps, hats, mug cups, drinking bottles, coffee flasks and car stickers.
“We are urging our supporters to not only focus on jerseys, but also to embrace the other exciting items which are ideal for personal use, souvenirs, or gifts,” he said.
Chapita said going forward, they aim to introduce more exciting products,” not just for Wanderers supporters, but also for the broader football-loving community”.
He said: “Our goal is to create merchandise that resonates with all fans of the game, further strengthening our brand presence and connection with the wider public.
“We’ve witnessed encouraging support from our fans. Recently, we embarked on regional activations, starting with the Eastern Region. The response was overwhelming, with fans expressing strong interest and requesting similar activities in other regions.”
However, while it looks rosy in replica sales, both teams are yet to make a significant breakthrough in their respective membership drives.
Chapita conceded that their Nyerere Membership initiative started off slowly.
He said: “The initiative has the potential to become one of Wanderers’ key revenue streams in our broader commercialisation strategy. To reach our target of one million supporters, we need more supporters to embrace the initiative.
“After a slow start, we’ve seen a notable pick-up, driven by the team’s good performance on the pitch, our on-ground activations and continued promotional efforts.”
He said the positive development is that a number of supporters holding positions in various committees have started registering, leading by example.
Added Chapita: “These efforts will not only drive membership and revenue, but also enhance brand visibility as we continue to position Wanderers as a viable partner for companies and organisations.
“Football is big business and with Wanderers being a widely followed and respected brand, we believe we have immense potential to deliver value to corporate partners who come on board.”
On his part, Chigoga said Bullets have since changed the approach and have now switched to electronic membership registration.
“We are now using the customised digital systems. All the regions are targeted in this campaign and we are hoping for a significant improvement in the exercise,” he said.
However, both teams could not be drawn to comment on how many fans have registered so far.