Sports lawyer encourages SA female footballers to build lucrative personal brands

Only a handful of female footballers in South Africa have brands that back them as individuals, with Hollywoodbets Super League teams also struggling to make ends meet.

READ: Dricus du Plessis reacts to successful first UFC title defense 

SABC Sport reported that former Banyana Banyana captain and assistant coach of JVW, Janine Van Wyk recently started a crowdfunding campaign so they can run operations within the Hollywoodbets Super League team. A lot of players in the league also still work full-time jobs to make money. Speaking to Victor Molefe on The Primetime Sports Show on Ukhozi FM, Mathang-Tshabuse believes players should work as influencers with corporate South Africa.

"Sponsors look for two things, they love data. Data proves how they will benefit from the relationship with an influencer or athlete. Sponsorship means leaning on your popularity. The problem is we say 'Sponsor me' but we don't tell corporate South Africa why. Why must you sponsor me," Mathang-Tshabuse said.

Banyana's second appearance in the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup saw brands entering the women's football space by sponsoring the national team. A study done by SponsorUnited before the Women's World Cup found that Aston Villa and Switzerland striker Alisha Lehmann's social media engagement matched 50% of all the female players combined and her engagement ranked fourth amongst any major USA professional athletes. Mathang-Tshabuse adds that social media engagement is much more important than the number of followers one may have.

"Don't judge yourself by the number of followers you have, if your engagement is high that's what you tell the sponsor so that they engage with new customers as you. You need to also highlight that your engagement may be higher than a male player with more followers than you because your followers talk back to you," she explained.

Banyana players have plied their trade in various competitive leagues across the world, with Thembi Kgatlana at Tigres UANL Femenil, Jermaine Seiposenwe playing for Monterrey, Hildah Magaia and Sinoxolo Cesane teammates at Mazatlan FC Feminel (All four in the Liga MX Femenil in Mexico), The Shamase twins – Sphumelele and Thubelihle at Lithuania playing for FC Gintra and Linda Motlhalo at Racing Louisville in the NWSL. The agent insists Banyana players are doing better than their male counterparts, Bafana Bafana when it comes to international transfers.

"If you look at women's success, it's overlapping the men's. Banyana Banyana is more successful, Sundowns Ladies is more successful in terms of accolades. So, that breakthrough, the thing is we have to be excellent and then men just have to be manly,” she added.

“Excellence attracts, anything that's excellent you want to be part of, that's why we are seeing more women go abroad. More sponsors come to the table. Even when you look at international leagues, women are selling."