Modise: I now understand my value

Bafana Bafana and Mamelodi Sundowns legend Teko Modise reveals the secret behind his success after retiring from professional football. Check it out!

What's the story?

As one of the South Africa's most marketable football figures, Teko Modise has perfectly navigated retirement from football, seeing him attract big brands and build a solid businesses among other things.

The former SuperSport United, Orlando Pirates, and Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder got candid recently about his successes after football retirement and changing narratives.

Read: Modise Bags Yet Another Brand Deal

Let's take a closer look...

Modise's success after football

It's been a little more than four years since Teko Modise hung up his boots and although he hasn't completely removed himself from the beautiful game, it's safe to say that he's managed to reinvent himself.

Now a businessman, football pundit and one of Sundowns' club ambassadors, Modise could easily give a masterclass on how to find success after professional sports.

Speaking to Nounouche Online magazine, "Dona" as he's been known since his playing days, says he reclaimed his name after retiring in 2019 at Cape Town City.

"I realised that once you sign a document where they are going to use your image, it doesn't belong to you. They (the clubs) own that space. The first time I got to own the Teko Modise name was when I retired," he says.

"This started a total shift for me. I needed to position myself in a way that allows me to pick the brands that I want to work with. For so long the clubs I played for owned me, I knew nothing. I took the signing-on fee and gave them my name. I have moved differently since then, sustaining the relationships with the likes of Puma, moving into the jewellery space where I am also an ambassador for NJR Jewellers.

"I now understand my value, which has never been the case. My salary now is similar to being a footballer at the highest level, like I am still playing for Mamelodi Sundowns – and I am enjoying being in a different space. I have chosen the brands," adds Modise.

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He runs a creative agency, The Prestigious Group, and has aligned himself with brands such as Hollywoodbets, Nedbank, Kia Motors, Heineken and most recently, Samsonite South Africa.

Along with breaking barriers for retired footballers, Modise is also changing narratives about how ballers are perceived in different spaces.

"Just because we are footballers doesn't mean that. I am not taking shots at guys who have gone the natural route like a normal ex-footballer, that's their passion. I don't have that. I have always tried new things that I believe will inspire a lot of guys who want to follow in those footsteps. When I was playing, we were carrying this stigma that we are good for nothing. People didn't want to deal with footballers, but things are changing now.

"I sit in boardrooms with CEOs now and for the first time I don't feel like I am the only one giving and things being taken away from me. I am receiving and benefiting as well. I am learning so much. Look at the trend all over the world, top footballers have become big brands and are taken seriously. Why can't we do that in SA?" says the 40-year-old legend.