Pay parity for Banyana does not mean prezzies from glory-hunting ministers - The Wafcon winners have given SA real football glory for the first time in decades - it's time Safa emulated their professionalism in the boardroom
So the Banyana squad will get an extra R5.8-million to share for their Women’s Africa Cup of Nations triumph, courtesy of the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture. Who knows how such a big pot of money can be rustled up on the fly between a Saturday and a Tuesday. Perhaps it came from Minister Nathi Mthethwa’s special budget for reflected-glory hunting.
This means the South African Football Association itself has only contributed a modest R1.2-million of its own money to reward Banyana for matching Bafana Bafana’s 1996 Afcon triumph. This from an association that splurged R9-million on a fleet of Mercedes-Benzes for its provincial administrators in the aftermath of the 2010 World Cup. Because provincial administrators can’t be seen dead in Toyotas or Hyundais like ordinary humans.
When Bafana lost in the quarterfinals of the Africa Cup of Nations 2019, they received Safa bonuses of R520 000 each – R120 000 more than Banyana will get for winning the whole damn tournament. Bafana usually don’t even qualify for Afcon finals, let alone compete for medals. Banyana have reached and lost five Wafcon finals prior to this win.
At the OR Tambo reception bash this week, Safa president Danny Jordaan loudly declared his commitment to parity – but said he would have to talk to the sports minister in order to make it happen. This fits into a pattern of Safa buck-passing on the issue. In late 2020, the body’s then spokesperson Dominic Chimhavi said Safa was keen on introducing parity but blamed private-sector sponsors for delaying this by favouring the men’s game.
Sasol has long backed Banyana but other SA corporates will catch on quickly enough now. The participation rate of girls in football is rocketing all over the world – in a decade from now, all those girls will be football-loving adult consumers with spending power, and they will remember which brands backed their passion.
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