In South Africa, the ‘Big Three’ – rugby, cricket and soccer – face plummeting revenues in the wake of no live sport, while minor codes are under even greater threat as crucial sponsorship money dries up.



South African sport faces a crisis the likes of which has never been seen before and one that has the potential to change the game forever as the Covid-19 pandemic threatens the brittle fabric that has kept professionalism alive in the country.



Rugby, cricket and soccer all face plummeting revenues in the wake of no live sport, while minor codes are under even greater threat as crucial sponsorship money dries up.



The ‘Big Three’ all rely heavily on broadcast revenue, and for rugby and soccer, the inability to stage live sport in the first few months of the lockdown has put that relationship under threat. As has the worsening economic crisis in the country, which could see millions more people out of jobs and cancelling their subscriptions to pay channel SuperSport in what will be the longer-term effect of the pandemic.



Tough economic times do not bode well for sports, with the corporate paymasters loathe to be seen to be pumping money into sponsorship while at the same time laying off workers.



The immediate threat to all sports is to keep paying the players and staff, and across the board, there have been salary cuts that suggest the days of largesse are over, for now, and possibly, the foreseeable future.



South Africa’s Premier Soccer League (PSL) faces the potential for collapse as we know it, with clubs already cutting player salaries, laying off non-playing staff and facing a burst to the bubble of what is seen by many as the richest and best-equipped league in Africa.



Absa announced a premature end to their lucrative deal as headline sponsors of the league, worth some R140 million ($8.3 million) per season, while stalwart clubs such as Bidvest Wits, with a rich 99-year history, have been sold as owners reconsider their appetitive for the sport.



“Football all over the world is a business like any other,” Cape Town City owner John Comitis tells FORBES AFRICA. “It has to be treated as such and that means in tough economic times, you have to look at ways of cutting costs.



“But as a club, we will do everything possible to limit the damage. A lot of that will be dependent on how quickly we can re-start the season, because we need to fulfil our contractual obligations to our sponsors and the broadcaster.



“That is the major source of income and without that, it is inevitable that the effect will trickle down to staff and the players.



“But even if you cut player salaries, the cost of running a club remains high. It is a very difficult situation and some [clubs] will handle it better than others.”



Fellow top-flight side AmaZulu confirmed they could not pay full salaries as early as the end of April, though they were guarded on the size of the cuts, saying in a letter to players and staff, “even though the club receives the [R2 million] PSL grant and has Spar as a sponsor, it still relies on other income streams and significant contribution from the owners of the club whose businesses have been severely affected by Covid-19”.



In rugby, some of the country’s top players will lose up to 43% of their monthly earnings up to the end of 2020 after South African Rugby announced plans to cut its budget by R1.2 billion ($71.5 million) for the year.



This would be achieved through a mixture of interventions, including cancelling junior competitions, and limiting other operations such as training camps, coaching courses and non-essential work.



But players will also feel the brunt, with a sliding scale used to determine how much they will lose on their monthly wage, which according to reports, is on average around R50,000 ($2,980) per month across the board, though higher earners can collect five times that amount.



The cuts, which amount to 25% of total remuneration across the industry, are not just for players, but coaching staff, administrators and office workers as well. Those earning less than R20,000 ($1,192) per month will not be affected.



“It was a complex process to find alignment with a number of entities representing 1,396 people in the South African rugby industry,” SA Rugby CEO Jurie Roux says.



“The group identified our collective areas of financial risk and what savings had to be made and then identified a plan to mitigate those risks.



“It has meant salary cuts for many, but we have put together a plan that will ensure the industry will be positioned and resourced to get straight back to action just as soon as we are permitted.”



Cricket has largely been shielded from the financial fallout due to the fact that the season was coming to an end just as lockdown was implemented.



It means the industry would have been dormant for a few months in any case, and the national team players mostly idle, though a limited overs tour to Sri Lanka in June was called off.



South Africa’s home summer really kicks into gear in December, by which time authorities are hopeful they will at least be able to stage matches and fulfil their contractual obligations, though a poorly-performing economy may have longer-lasting effects.



“We have budgeted for the amount [of salaries for the season],” Cricket South Africa Acting CEO Jacques Faul says. “It’s a centralized system and both the national team and [domestic] franchise players are budgeted for. At this stage, we will have enough capacity to see us through the [2020/21] season.



“But in the long term, even if we cover this season, we will have to look at what the situation is going to be after that and the financial impact it has. In our situation, I cannot see any player getting less money this season, but going forward, I can see a situation where players might have to receive less.”



The great uncertainty for everyone is the difficulty in predicting how the Covid-19 pandemic will play out in South Africa.



But what is clear is if salaries and jobs are to be saved, the games need to start sooner rather than later, or the money will simply dry up, and in a worst-case scenario, the likes of rugby and cricket could return to the amateur era.&nbsp;



– By Nick Said

Sowet soccer

How Covid-19 Is Playing Out In Sport In South Africa

Waves of fans poured into the FNB Stadium in Soweto,
Johannesburg, in regalia rivalling the world’s most jubilant festivals, to
watch South Africa’s biggest Premier Soccer League teams Orlando Pirates and
Kaizer Chiefs clash it out for the Soweto Derby. 



The stadium, also known as The Calabash and home to the
Chiefs, seats 87,436 fans and rumbled with vuvuzelas and unbridled euphoria.
The Soweto Derby is one of the most fiercely-contested matches in African football.
Between the two rivals, there have been 163 past derbies‚ and of that, 67 won
by Chiefs and 39 by Pirates. 



However, it would seem that Pirates are making inroads to
close the gap. Chiefs have not managed to claim a victory against Pirates since
2015; the equivalent of 12 matches and 1,496 long days. 



READ MORE | <a href="https://www.forbesafrica.com/sport/2018/10/04/unequal-pay-for-equal-play/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Unequal Pay for Equal Play (opens in a new tab)">Unequal Pay for Equal Play</a>



In this image, fans wear the traditional team colors; gold
and black for Chiefs, black and white for Pirates. They wait with bated breath
and watch the players who will control the course of their destiny – for at
least the next 90 minutes. 



The whistle blows and the stadium roars in anticipation.
This is an event that spectators and organizers alike bank on. 



“Just out of this event, we are looking at just over R30 million ($2.2 million) contribution to the local economy. We are talking sales from a granny selling pap and vleis, to the guy selling merchandise and the guys helping to park cars. That’s what sports does,” says Barba Gaoganediwe, Head: Destination Promotions and Marketing for Gauteng Tourism. 



Unfortunately, the match ends in a draw and neither side is
pleased as they disappear into the changing rooms to plot the defeat of the
other side for when they meet next.

soccer

The Million Dollar Game

With billionaire mining magnate Patrice Motsepe at the helm, the newly crowned African champions Mamelodi Sundowns are not short of resources.
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Adding up all the presumed transfer fees and estimated running costs over the 13 years since he took ownership, Motsepe has invested more than R150 million ($11 million) in the club, a sum far in excess of what any other owner, among the 16 teams that make up South Africa’s Premier Soccer League (PSL), has put into the game.
The money took a long time to show any kind of return but Sundowns, ironically after a round of recent belt-tightening, can now look to run their operation independently after the windfall of their recent success.
Winning the African Champions League in October has ensured record earnings for the Pretoria-based club, although Motsepe is giving a fair chunk of it to his players as a bonus for their achievement.
In the Champions League, Sundowns took home a purse of $1.5 million for winning – by far the biggest sum the club has ever earned from a single competition. That is, indeed, true of any South African team.
The biggest prize in the domestic game is the R10 million ($750,000) that the winners of the league earn.
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The Champions League purse is to be shared among the players, said Motsepe in the wake of their success in Egypt, where Sundowns overcame hostile conditions in a display of resilience to win the title – only the second time in 21 years that a South African club has done so.
It is the biggest achievement in club football on the continent and brings with it a raft of other opportunities.
First, Champions League success means participation in the Fifa Club World Cup in Japan at the end of the year.
The competition, featuring all the continental champions, also offers prize money with a minimum of $1 million just for participating and going up to $5 million for the winner.
But unlike the Champions League campaign, where the cost of traveling through Africa can be onerous, Fifa pay all costs, including supplying 35 business class return tickets to Japan per club.
Another $1 million would be well received, although the costs of South African football are such now that it is pretty swiftly shredded through.
Not three months ago, Sundowns paid R11 million ($820,000) to sign silky midfielder Sibusiso Vilakazi from Bidvest Wits; a record fee for an internal move in the South African market. They also bought players from Bloemfontein Celtic and Free State Stars, and imported a striker from the Ivory Coast in a bid to strengthen their squad for a rigorous campaign to come.
To do so, the club has to get extra funding from Motsepe.
It is not just for the transfer fees, but the wages needed to lure these players to the club as well.
Bafana Bafana fullback Anele Ngcongca had opportunities to stay in Europe when it became clear he would leave Belgian side Genk, and also attracted interest from the lucrative Chinese Super League. But he has been lured to Pretoria with the promise of not only competing for silverware, but also a hefty pay-packet as he heads towards his thirties.
No PSL club survives on the monthly income of R1.5 million ($100,000) that they receive as their share of the television deal that broadcaster SuperSport agreed to for the next five years.
With attendances declining, gate receipts are for many clubs no longer a revenue source. They lose money on the costs associated with match days, such as security, stewarding and ground rental.
For many clubs, surviving without a benevolent owner with big pockets depends on the ability to develop and then sell players. Some have made it a useful enterprise and keep their heads above water, ensuring survival but effectively losing their ability to be truly competitive.
Free State Stars have an uncanny ability to find quality players at no cost and then sell them on at a healthy profit. Ajax Cape Town, with their extensive youth network, is another ‘selling’ club.
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As is the trend internationally, emphasized by the rise to the winners’ podium of Manchester City and their Abu Dhabi investors in England or the Qatari cash that has made Paris Saint-Germain the runaway power in France, so the South African league too is fast becoming a lopsided arena.
It was no accident that last season’s top two finishers – Sundowns and Wits – are owned by tycoons with a passion for the game. The growing rivalry between Motsepe and Wits owner Brian Joffe is set to continue this season.
Perennial challengers like Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates are increasingly unable to compete for the best talent – both coaching and player wise. It was not by accident that last season was the first time in almost 50 years of professional football in South Africa that neither of the well-supported Soweto giants won a single trophy.
They will remain competitive while their revenue stream, from sponsorship and replica shirt deals, is strong but that they are no longer the ‘big bulls in the kraal’ is all too evident.
SuperSport United, with the backing of MultiChoice, could grow into the third power in the South African game but do not have the largesse and impulsive ability to strike in the marketplace that both Sundown and Wits possess.
Sundowns’ new-found status and confidence gives them the sporting impetus to continue achieving. The bedrock of Motsepe’s cheque book remains a firm foundation but it helps they are also contributing to the coffers with their success.
The trick for them is to ensure that success of the last two years, which has also seen them win the domestic league title and the Telkom Knockout cup competition, continues for the next few years.
They are best placed to create a dynasty and become goliath in their own league, just like Lyon in the French Ligue 1 who claimed their domestic title for seven consecutive years in early 2000, or Paris Saint-Germain, who have won the last four.
Sundowns’ Champions League success this year could be the start of a period of dominance the rest of the league will be powerless to break.

Wealthy And Healthy

The South African economy may be struggling but football remains big business in the country with the Premier Soccer League (PSL) expanding its reach outside of the continent.
The increased pulling power of the league has been more evident over the last 18 months with many high-profile acquisitions by the country’s leading clubs.
The most intriguing of these was the capture by SuperSport United of South African international midfielder Dean Furman, who has grabbed the chance to become part of an ambitious project at the Pretoria club.
At the age of 27, Furman is a player reaching his prime, but instead of pushing to grow his reputation in Europe, he has instead opted for a more lucrative contract in South Africa.
Furman is one of a number of players from outside of Africa that have pledged their future to the South African domestic game. What started as a trickle 18 months ago has turned into something of a rush, at two clubs at least.
The New Zealand international trio of Jeremy Brockie and Michael Boxall (both SuperSport), as well as Kris Bright (Wits) have arrived. As has Australian Isaka Cernak at SuperSport, Portuguese junior international, Jucie Lupeta, and most recently Englishman James Keene, both of whom play at Wits.
And then there is the return to the PSL of experienced defender Bongani Khumalo, to SuperSport for the first half of the season and, since January, Wits. His failure to get a work permit in England was a deciding factor, though there were other offers elsewhere in Europe.
The new arrivals have had varying degrees of success. Cernak and Bright have especially struggled to adapt to the local game, but the rest have added value to their teams.
Furman remains the most high-profile of the new arrivals though, having come through the junior ranks at English giants Chelsea, made his professional debut for top Scottish club Glasgow Rangers and captained his country at an African Nations Cup finals.
Born in Cape Town, his early years were spent in the plush surroundings of Camps Bay before his parents immigrated to England when he was five. Four years later, he was scouted by Chelsea playing for his local club and joined their academy.
His next move involved a future Liverpool manager and a Scottish great.
“I was coming to the end of my apprenticeship at Chelsea and was unsure whether I would be kept on,” says Furman. “Throughout my time at Chelsea, the youth coaches had been really supportive of me. One of them, Brendan Rodgers, had a link at Celtic, which was [former Scotland star] Tommy Burns, and so I spent a week training there.”
“After that I had a week at Glasgow Rangers as well. I really enjoyed both experiences and would have been happy to sign for either club. But Rangers moved faster I guess and I committed to them.”
Furman made his senior debut for his new club in 2008, two years after joining the club, but felt his fortunes lay in England, despite being offered a new contract by the Scottish side and after a successful loan spell at fourth-tier Bradford City, joined Oldham Athletic a division above.
He immediately hit it off with coach Paul Dickov, so much so that he was handed the captaincy of the side for the 2011/12 season, just days past his 23rd birthday, making him the youngest skipper among England’s 92 league clubs for that season.
“I think Paul Dickov could see a bit of himself in me,” says Furman.
At the end of the first season, the captain had moved on and Dickov was looking for someone else to take the leadership role.
“It was a great honor and a great responsibility for me at a young age. But I think that is just the way I am. Whether I am wearing the captain’s armband or not I try and get the best out of my teammates. It is something that comes quite naturally to me.”
A move to Doncaster Rovers would follow, initially on loan and then permanently in 2013 as Furman sought to perform at a higher level.
He did compete in the English Championship with Rovers and did not look out of place, despite their relegation in the 2013/14 season.
He turned down the offer of a new contract at the club at the end of the last campaign and had a trial with Championship club Blackburn Rovers, where he received glowing praise from the club’s management, but who ultimately opted to sign players in other positions they felt needed greater cover.
Furman had long been linked with the South African PSL ever since he made his debut for Bafana Bafana under Gordon Igesund against Brazil in 2012. Now with options to consider on the table, the best of these were from SuperSport United, a club with substantial financial backing and ambition.
“It wasn’t an easy decision, purely based on having to move to another country and the affect that would have on my girlfriend and our families,” he says.
“But [SuperSport CEO] Stan Matthews came over and outlined his vision for the club. I spoke to a lot of people about the team and the PSL and ultimately we decided to experience something new.”
Furman says he and his girlfriend have settled in well and believes there are a number of factors why the PSL is becoming a more attractive league for players from outside the continent.
“The legacy from the [2010] World Cup has really put the spotlight on South African football. And there is some real talent over here with exciting players, so it is great to watch and be involved in. The facilities are world-class too.”
Also, there is no doubt that tougher financial conditions among European clubs means more players will be looking for opportunities outside of the continent.
“There are a lot of really good players scratching around looking for a club. Financially, teams have tightened up so good players have been released to cut wage bills and it is becoming more difficult therefore to win a good contract at a good club because there is so much competition.”
It is for that reason that Furman, while just reaching his prime as a player, is already thinking about life after retirement.
“I have got a couple of properties in the UK and am also doing my dissertation for a sports science degree. Your career ends very early in life and so you need to think about the next 50 years.”
The rude financial health of the PSL should make those 50 years easier for Furman.

Home, hale  And Hearty

Throughout the years that Greg Etafia has been between the poles for South African club Moroka Swallows, he has become one of the most valuable players in the Premier Soccer League (PSL). The Nigerian’s performances have been consistently high since he signed for Swallows in 2002 and he remains Swallows’ first choice goalkeeper. He feels he can still offer more.
“I am very happy that I am still active, doing well for Swallows whenever I am in action. For all the years that I have been playing for Swallows, I always gave my best and it is good that the team has been stable. When I arrived at Swallows from Nigeria, I was aware that I [was] going to participate in a highly competitive league that is well organized, so I always prepare myself well for any challenges that I come across,” he says.
Etafia has an impressive track record. In Nigeria, he performed with flying colors for Lobi Stars while they were in the CAF Champions League. He helped Stars reach the semifinals and quarterfinals of Africa’s most prestigious football competition. He also played for Plateau United in Nigeria for a brief period.
“While I was playing for Lobi Stars, I had good communication with my teammates and I was always determined to deliver for the team wherever we played. Whether it was a local league game or in the African Champions League, it was very important for the whole team to get good results. Playing in Africa in the Champions League was a good experience for the team because there were so many things that we learned from playing in different countries under different conditions,” he says.
Etafia represented Nigeria at the Under-17 and Under-23 levels. He was also part of the Super Eagles’ senior team. He credits the coaches he played under at youth level for getting him where he is now.
“Whenever I represented Nigeria, no matter at what level, I always felt honored. Playing for my country means a lot to me and I did my best whenever I got the opportunity to wear the national team jersey.”
Gavin Hunt, one of the top coaches in South Africa, discovered Etafia and brought him to Swallows. At the Soweto club, he was rated highly by many coaches from different backgrounds, including Julio Cesar Leal of Brazil, Rainer Zobel of Germany, Ian Gorowa of Zimbabwe and Gordon Igesund of South Africa. All appreciated his ability to deal with the crosses and organize his defence, but what really makes him stand out are his spectacular saves.
“All the coaches that I played under at Swallows had something to offer the team and I learned from them,” says Etafia.
He has won three major trophies with Swallows – the ABSA Cup, the Nedbank Cup and the MTN 8 – and feels there are more on their way.
“I remember my first cup that I won with Swallows was when we were playing against Manning Rangers in Bloemfontein. We had prepared well for that particular game. We had a good game plan and we approached that game well and we ended up winning. The other final was when we were playing against University of Pretoria (Tuks) in the Nedbank Cup final. Even though we were more experienced than Tuks, we took that game very seriously and we emerged victorious. The other glorious moment was when we beat SuperSport United 2-1 in the MTN 8 final at Orlando Stadium. It was a tough game as SuperSport had many quality players. We played good attacking football and eventually it paid off for us,” he says.
“We were very excited with our victory against SuperSport; you could just see the energy and happiness we showed as we were celebrating. It really feels good winning trophies with the team and I will carry on working very hard so we can win something again.”
Swallows, one of the oldest clubs in South Africa, has a rich history and has recently signed top players which Etafia feels proud to team up with.
The current season started on a high note when Swallows beat South African giants Orlando Pirates, however their form faded and they began losing games. It led to head coach, Zeca Marques, stepping down and Fani Madida taking over as caretaker coach. A 1-1 draw against high-flying Kaizer Chiefs in a league match boosted morale and Etafia is confident they can turn the corner and improve their position in the PSL standings.
“The spirit is very high in our camp at Swallows. It is a matter of taking each game as it comes. It is very important for us to get the good results. No matter who we play against, whether it is a small or a big team, we need to go out there and perform. It is very important for us to be consistent. I know there are so many games that we can play in a short period but we are professionals and we should be able to deal well with the tough situations we face.”
The 32-year-old goalkeeper keeps in touch with his fellow countryman Williams Okpara, the former Orlando Pirates goalkeeper. He grew up supporting Manchester United but his favorite player is Vincent Enyeama, the Nigerian goalkeeper who plays for Lille in France.
Being around fellow Nigerians and following other sports has helped Etafia settle in South Africa.
“I just love sport. I enjoy basketball; it is also a very interesting sport. I communicate with other Nigerians in South Africa and we discuss soccer and other important things in life. In Africa, we have the talent and it is therefore very important to use our skills right and do well at the highest level.”
It certainly takes a man with a big heart to stay far away from home and manage to remain his club’s first choice.

The Nigerian Swallow Soaring In The South

Winning the African Champions League title is the biggest milestone any African player can aim for. Nigerian midfielder Onyekachi Okonkwo has won it twice.
Okonkwo is proud of this accomplishment with his club Enyimba.
“I have always been determined to do well for my team. At training, I always work hard on my game to improve as a player. I did very well for Enyimba back home in Nigeria and winning the major trophies with the team was a great feeling,” he says.
The midfield maestro was instrumental in Enyimba’s path to Champions League glory which attracted attention from South African giants Orlando Pirates.
Okonkwo signed for the Buccaneers in the 2004 season and had a successful stint in the lucrative Premier Soccer League (PSL). His high work rate and style of play made him a crowd favorite in South Africa.
“When I came to Orlando Pirates, I was aware that I was joining a big team and a lot was expected from me.”
Although they had high expectations, the passionate fans spurred Okonkwo on.
“It was very encouraging for me while playing in front of those Pirates supporters who were always cheering the team. They were behind us wherever we played and that gave us extra motivation.”
After being a star in the famous black and white colors for two seasons, Tico, as he is affectionately known, went overseas to join FC Zurich in Switzerland. After two seasons in Europe, he left to play for Al Kharitiyath in Qatar and feels that playing overseas helped him grow as a player.
“Even though I played in different countries and experienced different situations, I was very focused. I dealt well with the different circumstances that I was going through and managed to perform well for the team.”
Pirates were aware that Okonkwo was still a valuable player and enticed him back to the club in 2012. It was a move that was easy for the player.
“Coming back to South Africa and rejoining Pirates was good for me because the standard of soccer in the PSL is good. The league is professionally run and there are fine soccer facilities.”
“It feels good when people recognize that I did well for the team whenever I got the opportunity to play for Pirates,” he says.
Okonkwo signed for Mpumalanga Black Aces last season, helping the team qualify for the MTN8, a tournament that features the top eight teams in the PSL. He is determined to reward the club’s supporters by winning a major trophy this season. Aces have signed other top players which leaves Okonkwo confident that they will have an even better season.
“I am a very ambitious person and my aim is to win one of the trophies with Aces this season,” he says.
With his successful track record, it would take a brave man to bet against him.

African, Football, Cup Up Aces’ Sleeve

A tattered flag bearing a blue ace has seen better days. So has the team it supports, Mpumalanga Black Aces. In the fading light of a Friday night at the Mbombela Stadium, on the outskirts of Nelspruit in the north eastern South African province of Mpumalanga, the new mice to the South African Premier Soccer League (PSL) run out against fat cats Kaizer Chiefs. Chiefs, who are awash with cash from sponsors and the sale of thousands of shirts, throng into the stadium. Aces don’t even have a stadium.
The biggest contrast is what you can’t see. Holding the flag stubbornly is Njabula Simelane, a die-hard Aces fan. Simelane is Mandlesive High School’s art teacher and wanted to see his side so badly he brought exam papers with him. He marked them in his seat, shoving them in his backpack just before kick-off.
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“I would not have missed this game for anything. Aces playing Chiefs; I’ve waited two years for this,” says Simelane.
Aces are one of oldest clubs in South Africa, a club long in history but short on budget. They clawed their way back into Africa’s richest football league after two years in the wilderness of the first division.
Simelane personifies the kind of loyal support upon which African football has been built. Sadly, in the modern game of 2013, it’s the corporate box that rules. Any club that hopes to stand a chance of competing needs cash as much as a fleet-footed striker.
The way Aces started this season is a sign of the desperate times. Two days before their season opener, the club was homeless. Black Aces had to rent Mbombela Stadium far from home. Aces’ home, in Witbank, is a 220km drive away from Mbombela. Roelf Koetze, Mbombela Stadium’s manager, says the game drew a bigger crowd than expected. Twenty-two thousand fans flocked in at short notice.
Finding a home ground for the homeless PSL side is Gordan Masondo, Black Aces’ communication manager, a man with a rich history in South African football clubs, from Manning Rangers to Durban Bush Bucks. Masondo spent two weeks, with two cellphones in each hand, driving across the province trying to find something. The wheeling and dealing paid off. Masondo says Aces settled for two home clubs instead of one. The club announced that its main home ground would this time be a 100km drive from Witbank, at the Kees Taljaard Stadium, in the small town of Middelburg. Aces’ second ground would be at Mbombela, to cater for any bigger games like against Orlando Pirates later on in the year.
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If fans want to see the stars there is a heavy price for talent. Black Aces hired Clive Barker to coach this year and he signed 19 new players. The most expensive is former Ajax Cape Town striker Mabhuti Khenyeza. According to statistics website Transfermarkt.com, the Zimbabwean born Khenyeza is worth R5.5 million ($544,000). Chief’s most expensive player is South African national, Bernard Parker, worth R13.8 million ($1.4 million).
In Mbombela, Chiefs’ starting 11 averaged R99 million ($9.8 million), in contrast to Aces’ R19 million ($1.8 million).
Overall, Chiefs has a squad worth $13.8 million. Aces has less than half of that with $6.2 million.
The action may be in the corporate stands, but this is an unmistakably African night. The smoke from the open fires in the township outside reflects light for miles; the waves of yellow and blue shirts undulate as shots flash past the post; the faint echo of taxi hooters floating in from the parking lot. The loudest cacophony comes when Parker scores the winning goal in the sixth minute. Aces fans dream of the day, when they too can swarm into a stadium with thousands of vuvuzelas.
But so goes the story of a few aces among a deck of Chiefs. This is still a dream—and an expensive one at that.

A Tattered Blue Banner  In A Sea Of Gold

South Africa lives and breathes football. Like oxygen, money is being pumped into the game in the form of prize money.
South African bank Absa renewed its sponsorship of the Premier Soccer League (PSL) for the next five years. The Absa Premiership is the richest sport competition in Africa, with R16 million ($1.9 million) up for grabs.
The current season will be different from previous seasons as it will be divided into four quarters, to be called the Q-innovation—the first of its kind in the world. As there are 16 teams in the PSL, each team will play 30 games throughout the season. The four quarters will alternate between seven and eight games, beginning with seven games in the first quarter. The winning team of each quarter will win R1.5 million ($182,600). The overall winner of the Absa Premiership will win R10 million ($1.2 million)—this means that there is a possibility of one team winning up to R16 million in a season. A bonanza for even the wealthiest of clubs.
Irvin Khoza—known in football circles as the Iron Duke—is chairman of the PSL and of the reigning league champions, Orlando Pirates. He is delighted with the renewal of the Absa sponsorship as well as the extra prize money.
“At the PSL, we are very excited with the Absa sponsorship and the new innovation that we have come up with,” he says.
“The prize money is very encouraging and surely it will help improve the standard of our football. When you look at our fixtures these days there is no game that is predictable because anything is possible in terms of the results. So it is going to be a very interesting season whereby all the teams that are competing in the PSL will be determined to do well from the beginning. We have very passionate supporters and fans who follow the progress of the PSL and we hope they will enjoy the quality football that the teams will be displaying on the field of play.”
MTN, the African cellphone giant, has also shown confidence in the PSL and has renewed their sponsorship for the next three years meaning that the MTN 8, with its popular slogan ‘Wafa Wafa’, will continue. The- winner-takes-it-all competition is one of the most-fascinating knockout cup competitions whereby, after merely four games, the champions win R8 million ($969,700).
MTN South Africa chief marketing officer, Serame Taukobong, is content that after a very successful four years of partnership with the PSL, which has benefited South African football, they will continue to invest in local football development and upcoming football stars.
“The MTN 8 is unique and is a very interesting competition that many people follow, hence we are so pleased that our partnership with PSL continues. It is even more exciting because we have the competition for the fans whereby they also have the opportunity to win some great prizes. We are looking forward to celebrating many more milestones in this MTN 8 exciting cup competition,” says Taukobong.
This season the football fans have shown great interest in attending the MTN 8 games—whether it’s the inexperienced or seasoned teams playing—crowds have been impressive. As the MTN 8 cup competition happens during the early stages of the season it showcases each team’s new players.
MTN was involved in bringing the world famous Manchester United to South Africa during their pre-season tour friendly games against Amazulu and Ajax Cape Town. By the way, if you need an example of how much money really is in football, Manchester United—the most valuable sporting brand in the world—is worth $2.23 billion. The fact that the two small PSL sides could compete on the same level as the nineteen-times English champions is a clear indication that the standard of football in South Africa has shown signs of improvement. Players across Africa show great interest in plying their trade in South Africa because of the magnificent stadium facilities and high salaries. Some top players in the PSL—who play for the big teams like Kaizer Chiefs, Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns—earn more than some of the overseas players. These top earners include: Sundowns captain Teko Modise; Pirates striker Benedict McCarthy and Chiefs forward Bernard Parker.
The Telkom knockout cup is another competition in the PSL, which attracts interest, especially due to the R4.2 million ($511,000) prize money and the awards presented to individual players. What is encouraging for football in Africa is that the Nedbank Cup allows small teams from the lower divisions to participate, in what sometimes turns into a David-and-Goliath showdown for the R6 million ($729,600) prize money.
SuperSport, the satellite television channel which broadcasts across the continent, has been granted the television rights worth around R2 billion ($243.3 million) to broadcast the games live. Football clubs benefit greatly from these television rights because they get the grant from the PSL which helps them with funding. They can prepare for games properly, afford to stay in five-star hotels; travel on expensive flights, hire reputable coaches and pay good salaries to their players.
It appears failure is no barrier to the flood of cash into the South African game. The national team, Bafana Bafana, has performed poorly in recent games. The team failed to qualify for the last African Cup of Nations and struggled in the qualifying games of the World Cup against weak teams such as Ethiopia and Botswana.
Despite its lukewarm game, Bafana Bafana got a large financial boost from SABMiller, the owner of Castle Lager, which renewed its sponsorship of R100 million ($12.1 million) for the next five years.
The FIFA 2010 Football World Cup was a big success in South Africa when it comes to the organization of the event. The legacy continues as more and more investment pours into the country. Furthermore, South Africa will benefit for decades to come from its world-class stadium facilities and infrastructure which was built for the championships.
In the 1960s, Orlando Pirates used to travel hundreds of kilometers from Johannesburg to Durban on the back of an open truck. Now, they could afford to fly in private jets and the money, despite the recession, appears as likely as the Indian Ocean to dry up.

Tag: Premier Soccer League

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