Cape Town — A deal between English Premier League team Tottenham Hotspur FC and the South African Department of Tourism has been scrapped. Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille made the announcement and attributed the change in plan - which aimed to have the club market the country in conjunction with SA Tourism - to financial concerns, saying: "In the current economic climate, the use of public funds must be carefully considered and for any department to fulfil its mandate, it must be done in a cost effective way, exploring multiple options and with due consideration for all priorities.

Billed at U.S.$56 million (R1 billion), the deal's initial announcement was met with controversy over its high cost. It would have seen a logo printed on the sleeves  jerseys worn by top players including Harry Kane and Son Heung-min, and would have carried the slogan "Visit South Africa".

Minister De Lille offered assurance that other avenues would be explored in order to promote South Africa as a preferred tourist destination. "I will also continue engaging SA Tourism and the department in more detail on the Department's budget to ensure that we fulfil our mandate of growing visitor numbers to South Africa, providing the necessary support to enable growth, increase job creation and increase the sector's contribution to the economy," she said.