Noko Matlou calls for better pay in Hollywoodbets Super League

In 2021, the South African Football Association (SAFA) entered into a partnership with a major sponsorship with Hollywoodbets to support the women’s league – now called the Hollywoodbets Super League – to the tune of R17-million for one season, but options to renew have since been exercised.

In the same season, the winning team - Mamelodi Sundonws - received R2-million, while the Tshwane University of Technology were awarded R1 million for finishing as runner-up.

Currently, each team receives a R110 000 monthly grant to support themselves and their players. However, with games spreading to various corners of South Africa, travel alone takes up a lot of financial resources, especially for teams based in rural areas.

It is understood that only reigning champions Sundowns can afford to sign players, but a team Royal AM, who also have a professional men’s team, are not far from compensating their players fairly.

"People are always talking about incentives. When it comes to incentives, that is [what] will motivate players. So, if we can get that right, I think everything will fall in place,” Matlou told SABC Sport. 

Meanwhile, only seven players in the 23-member Banyana squad for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup play abroad, while the majority are locally based.

Matlou commends the growth of the league she left in 2021, when she signed for Spain’s Premier League side SD Eibar, but insists the standards need to catch up to the rest of the world.

 "We're still complaining about intensity because if you want to play for Banyana Banyana or any other team outside of South Africa, the intensity must be high.

'The league has been growing, each and every season. Little bit by bit, we'll get to the top," concluded the former Ma-Indies defender. 

With new CAF regulations requiring all men's continental participants be affiliated with a women's team, it's only a matter of time before the local league expands, possibly transitioning from a semi-professional to a full-fledged professional women's league akin to the men's Premier Soccer League (PSL).