Lions Cricket
Lions Cricket is a Johannesburg-based cricket franchise operating the DP World Wanderers Stadium, managing men's, women's, blind, deaf, and youth teams across domestic competitions and the SA20 league, and earning revenue from sponsorship, ticketing, venue hire, and merchandise.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersJohannesburg, South Africa
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Lions Cricket does
Lions Cricket is a Johannesburg-based cricket franchise operating under Cricket South Africa's franchise system, headquartered at and controlling operational rights for the DP World Wanderers Stadium in Illovo. The organization fields six competitive team categories — Men's (DP World Lions), Women's (DP World Lions Women), Blind Cricket, Deaf Cricket, Colts (youth), and an SA20 franchise league team — and runs a parallel club and school cricket development pipeline across the Gauteng region. The 70-year-old franchise (marking its milestone in 2026) competes in domestic 4-Day Series, Pro50, and T20 Challenge competitions, and has won back-to-back championships in the 4-Day Series and Pro50 formats as of 2025.
The business model is multi-revenue-stream and event-driven. Ticket sales are processed through Ticketpro across domestic, international, and SA20 fixtures. Corporate sponsorship is anchored by DP World (naming rights for the DP World Lions teams and the DP World Wanderers Stadium), complemented by McDonald's, Masana Petroleum Solutions, ENZA Construction, Red Bull, Sunfoil, Primedia, Craft Homes, and others. The Wanderers Stadium is monetized beyond match-days through venue hire, corporate suites, co-working space, office rentals, stadium and museum tours, and food and beverage services. Supplementary revenue and brand engagement come from the official online merchandise shop, the Lions Scoring and Fixtures mobile app, and the Jozi Cup.
The underlying technology stack is intentionally lean: a content and e-commerce website (lionscricket.co.za), a mobile scoring and fixtures application, and integration with the Ticketpro digital ticketing platform. Distribution is hybrid — direct match-day sales at the stadium box office, online ticketing via Ticketpro, direct B2B corporate hospitality via TJHub2, and direct venue hire sales. The franchise also operates a Corporate Social Investment program (Lions Cares) spanning education, health, job creation, and transformation projects, plus the Pink Day breast cancer awareness initiative. There is no disclosed parent company, no funding history, and no public financial reporting; the entity is privately operated as a franchise within the CSA governance structure.
Lions Cricket firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Lions Cricket
- Legal name
- Lions Cricket
- Website
- https://cglcricket.org.za
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Lions Cricket is a Johannesburg-based cricket franchise operating the DP World Wanderers Stadium, managing men's, women's, blind, deaf, and youth teams across domestic competitions and the SA20 league, and earning revenue from sponsorship, ticketing, venue hire, and merchandise.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Lions Cricket industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Professional Cricket Franchise
- NAICS
- Sports Teams and Clubs (711211), Spectator Sports (7112)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Cricket Leagues (MPAKAAAF)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Team Sports Matches (Club & National) (MPAGAMAB)
Keywords
Where Lions Cricket is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Johannesburg
- HQ country
- South Africa
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices1 record
Markets served
Lions Cricket business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Ticket Sales: Revenue from match-day ticket sales across all formats including domestic 4-Day Series, Pro50, T20 Challenge, SA20 league fixtures, international Proteas matches, and special events. Tickets distributed through Ticketpro platform.
- Corporate Sponsorship: Primary sponsorship from DP World (naming rights for DP World Lions teams), with additional sponsors including McDonald's, ENZA Construction, Masana Petroleum Solutions, Fidelity, and numerous other corporate partners across various categories.
- Venue Hire and Hospitality: Revenue from renting corporate suites, event spaces, and hospitality facilities at DP World Wanderers Stadium. Includes co-working space, office space rental, museum and stadium tours, and food and beverage services.
- Merchandise and Shop: Sales of Lions Cricket branded merchandise through the official online shop.
- Community and Social Initiatives: Pink Day breast cancer awareness events generate donations and community engagement. Lions Cares program encompasses education, health, job creation, and transformation initiatives supported by partners.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
Lions Cricket product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Lions Cricket operates a professional and inclusive cricket franchise based at DP World Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg, fielding men's, women's, blind, deaf and colts teams in Cricket South Africa competitions. It sells match tickets, season memberships, corporate hospitality, branded merchandise, and rents out the stadium for cricket and non-cricket events. It also runs community cricket hubs and coaching programmes.
Product overview
Lions Cricket is a sports organization operating as a franchise within South African cricket, managing multiple competitive cricket teams (Men, Women, Blind, Deaf, and Colts) under the DP World Lions brand. The organization runs the DP World Wanderers Stadium as its primary venue, offering match-day experiences, venue hire, and corporate hospitality services. Supporting products include the Lions Cares social investment program, Pink Day breast cancer awareness initiative, an online merchandise shop, a mobile scoring and fixtures app, and youth development programs like the Diadora Jozi Cup. The portfolio spans professional cricket participation, stadium operations, community engagement, and retail/e-commerce services.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- DP World Wanderers Stadium: The home stadium of Lions Cricket, located in Illovo, Johannesburg
- Pink Day
- Jozi Cup
- Lions Cricket Cares
- DP World Lions Scoring and Fixtures App
Products and services
- Lions Cricket Match Tickets
Companies that use Lions Cricket
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Lions Cricket technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Lions Cricket partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major, flagship and minor.
- ENZA Construction and Tractional EnterprisecoreENZA Construction and Tractional Enterprise announced as partners supporting Lions Cricket's infrastructure and development initiatives. The partnership aims to build even bigger capabilities for the Pride lands through construction and enterprise development.
- Masana Petroleum SolutionscoreMasana Petroleum Solutions renewed their partnership with Lions Cricket for a further three years. The partnership continues to support the Pride lands through petroleum solutions sponsorship.
- FidelitycoreFidelity (security services provider) partnered with Lions Cricket to provide safe, secure, and superb services at the stadium, enhancing the spectator experience.
- Craft HomesmajorCraft Homes became an official partner of Lions Cricket, with the company moving into the Pride lands as a residential and property development partner.
- SportsnectionmajorLions Cricket partnered with Sportsnection to launch a historic trading card set, creating collectible merchandise for fans and collectors.
- DP WorldflagshipDP World holds the primary naming rights sponsorship for the DP World Lions teams (Men and Women), DP World Wanderers Stadium, and serves as the premier partner across Lions Cricket operations.
- McDonald'smajorMcDonald's is a major sponsor of Lions Cricket, appearing prominently on the partnership page with logo placement indicating a significant commercial relationship.
- SunfoilmajorSunfoil is an agricultural and energy partner supporting Lions Cricket operations.
- PrimediamajorPrimedia serves as a media and marketing partner providing broadcast and content distribution support for Lions Cricket events and matches.
- 947 (Radio Station)minorJoburg-based radio station 947 partnered with Lions Cricket for local marketing and community engagement.
- Red BullmajorRed Bull is listed as a sponsor on the Lions Cricket partnership page, supporting energy and performance initiatives.
- Planet FitnessminorPlanet Fitness supports Lions Cricket through fitness and sports science partnerships for athlete conditioning.
- Joburg TourismminorJoburg Tourism partners with Lions Cricket to promote Johannesburg as a sports tourism destination.
- RichfieldminorRichfield educational institution partners with Lions Cricket for skills development and training programs.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Lions Cricket competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Paarl Royals: SA20 franchise in the Western Cape, affiliated with the Rajasthan Royals — comparable T20 cricket franchise operating with similar revenue streams (tickets, sponsorship, venue hire) within the same South African league.
- Joburg Super Kings: SA20 franchise team that co-tenants DP World Wanderers Stadium with Lions Cricket — directly comparable T20 franchise in the same venue, sharing the same match-day infrastructure and overlapping fan base in Johannesburg.
- Titans Cricket: Another CSA domestic franchise based in Centurion, Pretoria, fielding men's and women's teams in the same 4-Day Series, Pro50, and T20 Challenge competitions as Lions Cricket — the most direct sporting and structural peer within the South African franchise system.
- Pretoria Capitals: SA20 franchise based at SuperSport Park in Centurion — comparable T20 cricket franchise in the same Gauteng-adjacent market with overlapping sponsorship and fan demographics.
- MI Cape Town: SA20 franchise affiliated with the Mumbai Indians global cricket brand — comparable T20 franchise bringing international commercial sophistication and direct competition for sponsor and fan attention in the South African market.
- Sunrisers Eastern Cape: SA20 franchise owned in partnership with the Warriors — comparable cricket entertainment franchise competing in the same limited-overs league with similar title sponsor structure and digital fan engagement model.
- Warriors Cricket: Eastern Cape CSA franchise competing in the same domestic competitions and SA20 with similar operational structure — comparable regional cricket franchise model with stadium-centric revenue streams.
- Knights Cricket: Free State-based CSA franchise participating in identical domestic formats — a regional peer franchise with comparable structure, sponsorship portfolio, and dependence on a single home venue.
- Dolphins Cricket: KwaZulu-Natal-based CSA franchise competing in identical domestic formats (4-Day, Pro50, T20 Challenge) and SA20 via Sunrisers Eastern Cape affiliate pathways — directly comparable franchise with similar revenue mix (tickets, sponsorship, venue hire).
Broad incumbents
- Cricket South Africa: The national governing body that governs the franchise system in which Lions Cricket operates — broader incumbent providing league structure, broadcast rights, and commercial framework that Lions Cricket's business model depends on.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks4 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Lions Cricket social profiles
Digital presenceLions Cricket financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Lions Cricket leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Lions Cricket funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Lions Cricket M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Lions Cricket
What does Lions Cricket do?
Lions Cricket operates a professional and inclusive cricket franchise based at DP World Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg, fielding men's, women's, blind, deaf and colts teams in Cricket South Africa competitions. It sells match tickets, season memberships, corporate hospitality, branded merchandise, and rents out the stadium for cricket and non-cricket events. It also runs community cricket hubs and coaching programmes.
Is Lions Cricket a public or private company?
Lions Cricket is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Lions Cricket founded?
Lions Cricket was founded in -1. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Lions Cricket based?
Lions Cricket is headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, in the Africa region.
How does Lions Cricket make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Ticket Sales are the primary driver. The others are corporate Sponsorship, venue Hire and Hospitality, merchandise and Shop and community and Social Initiatives.
Who are Lions Cricket's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Paarl Royals, Joburg Super Kings, Titans Cricket, Pretoria Capitals, MI Cape Town, Sunrisers Eastern Cape, Warriors Cricket, Knights Cricket and Dolphins Cricket. Cricket South Africa is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Lions Cricket have an API?
No public API is recorded for Lions Cricket.
What industry is Lions Cricket in?
Lions Cricket's product category is Professional Cricket Franchise. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAKAAAF, Cricket Leagues, with a secondary code of MPAGAMAB, Team Sports Matches (Club & National). Its NAICS code is 711211 and its SIC code is 7997.