The Department of Sport has stepped in to help SAFA clear dues owed to Bafana Bafana and Banyana Banyana players.
Reports had emerged that national team players had not been paid their bonuses for months, with SAFA claiming it was short of cash, and now the government has stepped in to bail them out.
Minister of Sport Gayton McKenzie confirmed on Thursday that the government has released R5 million from their 2025 grant to solve the matter while firing a warning to SAFA.
“Following reports that the South African Football Association (SAFA) has become cash-strapped to pay player’s salaries ahead of the festive season, the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC) has decided to advance the federation with R5 million,” read a statement from the Department of Sport.
McKenzie’s big warning
“Minister Gayton McKenzie wrote to the organisation to offer the advance, with the understanding that it will be subtracted from the grant paid in the 2025 financial year.
“This comes with the condition that SAFA’s leadership would need to provide reasons for why their financial affairs are so troubled, together with a viable turnaround plan to avoid such a situation in future. SAFA agreed to the conditions and thanked the Minister for the intervention.
“The Minister said, “we cannot allow players to go into this festive season without payment, especially since they have done the country proud. The men’s team recently qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations, and we need them to focus on preparing for this challenge, as well as making sure we get to the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Mexico, and Canada. Banyana Banyana have also led the way, winning the African Women’s Championship in 2022 and going deep at the FIFA World Cup last year.”
What is SAFA’s defence?
SAFA defended itself over its financial situation, claiming there was delayed payment from its different sources.
“In their correspondence to the Minister, the CEO explained that sponsorship revenues have been insufficient, while they have also been dealing with delayed payments from various partners. SAFA has been working on a financial turnaround strategy to increase revenues and cut costs, which will be presented to the Minister following the federation’s upcoming National Executive Committee meeting,” the statement added.
The issue had raised concerns following the good performance of Bafana Bafana recently, having secured their ticket to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, by topping their qualifying group.
