Betway Prem 2025–26: Who Will Wear the Lesley Manyathela Golden Boot Crown?

As the Betway Premiership season hits its halfway mark, the league is beginning to separate the contenders from the pretenders.

And while the title race grabs headlines, another battle is quietly brewing, the fight for the Lesley Manyathela Golden Boot, an accolade that has defined legends and immortalized strikers in South African football history.

The Legacy Behind the Award

The Golden Boot is more than just a trophy; it’s a tribute to the late Lesley Manyathela, the Orlando Pirates goal machine whose life was tragically cut short in a car accident. His name lives on through an award that celebrates the art of scoring goals, the lifeblood of the beautiful game.

Since the PSL’s inception, only five players have breached the 20-goal mark in a single season namely Wilfred Mugeyi, Pollen Ndlanya, Collins Mbesuma, Siyabonga Nomvethe and Peter Shalulile.

Collins Mbesuma remains the benchmark, smashing 25 goals for Kaizer Chiefs in 2004–05, a record that still stands. He was also the first to win the award twice, a feat later matched and surpassed by Shalulile, who dominated the charts in consecutive seasons.

Bernard Parker holds a quirky record, the fewest goals to win the award, just 10 strikes in 2013–14. And in a league where margins are razor-thin, the accolade has been shared three times, most famously in 2017–18 when Rodney Ramagalela and Percy Tau finished level on 11 goals.

Historically, Kaizer Chiefs and Moroka Swallows lead the pack with four unique winners each, underlining their pedigree in producing elite finishers.

2025–26: A Race Like No Other

Fast forward to this season, and the Golden Boot race is shaping up to be one of the most competitive in years. With just over 10 matches played, the leaderboard is congested, and the margins are slim.

Leading the charge is Golden Arrows’s talisman Sede Dion, who has netted 7 goals in 11 appearances. Hot on his heels are two familiar names:

• Bradley Grobler (SuperSport United) – 6 goals in 11 matches
• Iqraam Rayners (Stellenbosch) – 6 goals in 10 matches

The surprise package? Seluleko Mahlambi of TS Galaxy, sitting fourth with 5 goals from 11 games, a testament to his breakout season.

Behind them, a cluster of seven players are locked on four goals, including Kaizer Chiefs’ new signing Flavio Silva and Siwelele’s rising star Siviwe Magidigidi, fresh from representing Amajita at the FIFA U-20 World Cup.

Why This Race Matters

This season’s Golden Boot contest isn’t just about numbers, it’s about narratives. Dion’s consistency, Grobler’s evergreen class, Rayners’ clinical edge, and Mahlambi’s meteoric rise all add layers to a story that could go down as one of the most fiercely contested in PSL history.

With the second half of the season looming, expect fireworks. Will Dion hold his nerve? Can Grobler roll back the years? Or will a dark horse emerge from the chasing pack?