“This time for Africa?” – Band questions FIFA over Waka Waka proceeds

Fifteen years after the 2010 FIFA World Cup, questions are being raised over the royalties from Shakira’s global hit Waka Waka (This Time for Africa), which became the tournament’s official anthem.

South African band Freshlyground, who collaborated with Shakira on the record-breaking track, say they have spent over a decade seeking clarity on whether proceeds from the song ever reached the African charities it was meant to support.

The song, which has more than 4.3 billion YouTube views and close to a billion streams on Spotify, still generates revenue and holds the Guinness World Record as the most successful World Cup anthem ever.

According to City Press, the original agreement in 2010 stated that money earned from the song would be channelled to African charities. However, Freshlyground co-founder Simon Attwell says details about where those funds went remain elusive.

“First I was told that artists could choose the charities, then that only Shakira could, and eventually that the money had been handed to FIFA for their ‘20 Centres for 2010’ initiative,” Mr Attwell revealed.

The problem, he explained, is that the FIFA initiative in question reportedly closed in 2014, leaving unanswered questions about what happened to the royalties that have continued to flow in since.

“Waka Waka is still making money today and the streams don’t lie. Whether those funds are still meant for charity or just vanishing into a black hole of football bureaucracy is what Freshlyground would like to know,” Mr Attwell said.

As the anthem continues to resonate across the world, with fans still chanting “This Time for Africa”, the band insists the time has come for transparency over whether Africa itself ever benefitted from the song’s enduring success.