List of South African soccer club franchise sales and name changes

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In South African soccer, it is possible for clubs to purchase the licence to play in a league from another club, purchase a club in its entirety, or change names and locations, with relative ease. For this reason, clubs buying their way into the upper divisions is not uncommon.

Former Premier Soccer League (PSL) Chief Executive Trevor Phillips complained that regular name changes and license buy outs was turning the PSL into a "mumbo-jumbo" league. [1] Clubs in the top-tier were sometimes bought by businessman and renamed to have the same name as a club with previous history. In May 2008, this was partially resolved when governing body FIFA stepped in to prevent clubs purchasing licenses to play in a higher league. [2] In 2024, Thabo Nthethe called for stricter measures to regulate buying of clubs, reflecting on the demise of one of the country's best-supported clubs, Bloemfontein Celtic, after the new owner sold the Premiership franchise two years after purchasing the club. [3]

In 2002, the league organisers opted to purchase two clubs; Free State Stars (Qwa-Qwa) and Ria Stars (Polokwane) and dissolve them to reduce fixture congestion. Each club was purchased for R8million. [4] Free State Stars were originally known as Qwa Qwa Stars. Another club known as Free State Stars F.C. has been established since. The owner of the original Free State Stars purchased a club in the lower divisions Maholosiane and renamed it to Free State Stars.

In January 2025, the PSL faced criticism over the poor vetting of owners buying their way into the Premiership. Royal AM, who had bought their way to the Premiership at the start of the 2021–22 season, had their fixtures suspended after the South African Revenue Service issued a preservation order against the club over unpaid tax debts by owner Shauwn Mkhize, and players salaries went unpaid. [5] [6] [7]

Original clubNew clubDate changedReason for change
Khakhu Fast XI Mapate Silver Stars 1998
Cape Town Spurs & Seven Stars Ajax Cape Town 1999Result of merger after Ajax Amsterdam buy out
Qwa-Qwa Stars Free State Stars 1999
HP Silver Stars Silver Stars 200xName was shortened, when the Highlands Park junior team stopped as a nursery team for the club.
Mapate Silver Stars HP Silver Stars 2000Larry Brookstone, the owner of Highlands Park, bought the majority of shares. Despite the new ownership, the club continued to play at Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane. [8]
Amazulu Zulu Royals 2003
Basotho TigersNorth West Tigers2004
University of Port Elizabeth-FCK (UPE-FCK) & Port Elizabeth Technikon Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University-FCK (NMMU-FCK)2004Merger between universities.
Hellenic Benoni Premier United 2005
Wits UniversityBidvest Wits2006
Pietersburg Pillars City Pillars2005
Uthukela Nathi Lions 2005
Tembisa Classic Maritzburg United 2005
Dynamos AmaZulu 2006 [9]
Manning Rangers Fidentia Rangers 2006
Mabopane Young Masters FC AK 2006
PJ Stars M Tigers 2007
Silver Stars Platinum Stars May 2007 Royal Bafokeng Nation (RBN) entered as the club's sponsor in 2006 and relocated the team to play at Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Phokeng. Club name also changed, when RBN bought 51% of the shares in May 2007. [8]
Vasco da Gama FC Cape Town 2007
Benoni Premier United Thanda Royal Zulu 10 October 2007
City Pillars Mpumalanga Black Aces 2007
Fidentia Rangers Ikapa Sporting 2008
Mbekweni Cosmos Chippa United 2010New owner's nickname was 'Chippa'.
Nathi Lions Atlie 2011Franchise sold and moved from Durban to Tembisa. [10]
Bay United Polokwane City 2012Club moved from Port Elizabeth to Polokwane. [11]
Sivutsa Stars Royal Eagles 2014 [12] [13]
Vasco da Gama Stellenbosch 2016Vasco sold National First Division (NFD) franchise and a new club was formed in Stellenbosch [14]
Palmeros Casric F.C. 2017FC Palmeros were renamed Casric F.C. prior to the start of the 2017–18 SAFA Second Division [15]
Ajax Cape Town Cape Town Spurs 2020 Ajax Amsterdam ended their association with the club, and it was renamed Cape Town Spurs [16]
Highlands Park TS Galaxy 2020 TS Galaxy purchased the Premiership status of Highlands Park [17]
Bidvest Wits Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila 2020 Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila purchased the Premiership status of 2016–17 Premiership winners Bidvest Wits [18]
Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila/African All Stars Sekhukhune United 2020The owner of African All Stars purchased the NFD status of Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila, forming a new club, Sekhukhune United [19]
Bloemfontein Celtic Royal AM 2021 Royal AM purchased the Premiership status from Bloemfontein Celtic [20]
Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila Marumo Gallants 2021 Marumo Gallants purchased the Premiership status from Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila [21]
Royal AM Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila 2021 Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila purchased the NFD licence from Royal AM [22]
Free State Stars Casric Stars 2022 Free State Stars were sold and renamed Casric Stars prior to the start of the 2022–23 National First Division [23]
Uthongathi Milford F.C. 2022 Uthongathi's National First Division license was purchased by Milford F.C.. [24]
All Stars Black Leopards 2022Relegated NFD club Black Leopards purchased the status of All Stars to continue to play in the division. [25]
Moroka Swallows Marumo Gallants 2024 Marumo Gallants purchased the Premiership status from Moroka Swallows [26]
Marumo Gallants Leruma United 2024 Leruma United purchased the National First Division status of Marumo Gallants [27]
Maritzburg United Durban City 2024Club moved from Pietermaritzburg to Durban. [28]
Original clubNew clubDate changedReason for change

References

  1. ↑ "Dynamos sale angers PSL boss". iol.co.za. 5 July 2006. Retrieved 2 May 2010.
  2. ↑ "FIFA changes statutes to tighten nationality loopholes". reuters.com. 30 May 2008. Archived from the original on 15 July 2012. Retrieved 2 May 2010.
  3. ↑ Ngidi, Njabulo. "Nthethe wants stricter measures to regulate buying of PSL clubs: 'Teams now don't work hard enough'". Sport. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
  4. ↑ "South Africa 2003/04". RSSSF . Retrieved 2 May 2010.
  5. ↑ Mokhesi, Tokelo (8 January 2025). "Royal AM confirms unpaid salaries, SARS takeover". FARPost. Retrieved 8 January 2025.
  6. ↑ "PSL cans Thursday's Royal AM game against Pirates, suspends all their matches". SowetanLIVE. Archived from the original on 22 January 2025. Retrieved 23 January 2025.
  7. ↑ Ngidi, Njabulo. "PSL and Msunduzi Municipality fuelled the Royal (A)Mess ravaging SA football". Sport. Retrieved 24 January 2025.
  8. 1 2 "Platinum Stars club history". Archived from the original on 10 June 2010. Retrieved 9 December 2010.
  9. ↑ https://www.timeslive.co.za/sport/soccer/2018-06-22-the-clubs-platinum-stars-have-joined-in-sas-football-graveyard/
  10. ↑ "Mathamela eyes FC AK". Archived from the original on 23 December 2017. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
  11. ↑ Rabothe, Tshepo (9 July 2024). "Marumo Gallants president hits back at 'status buying' criticism". FARPost. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
  12. ↑ www.realnet.co.uk (9 August 2014). "Sivutsa Stars sold to Shauwn and S'bu Mpisane, moving to Durban - News - Kick Off". Archived from the original on 9 August 2014. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
  13. ↑ www.realnet.co.uk (9 August 2014). "Sivutsa Stars renamed Royal Eagles as David Bright takes charge - News - Kick Off". Archived from the original on 9 August 2014. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
  14. ↑ Hendricks, By: Allan; Sport (29 July 2019). "The new football champions of Stellenbosch". New Frame. Archived from the original on 25 July 2023. Retrieved 25 July 2023.
  15. ↑ https://www.news24.com/citypress/sport/meet-the-nfds-new-kids-on-the-block-casric-stars-20220903
  16. ↑ "What went wrong for Dutch club Ajax in Cape Town?". BBC Sport. 30 September 2020. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
  17. ↑ "Tim Sukazi confirms R60 million Highlands Park 'signed and sealed' purchase". Sport. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
  18. ↑ "Wits confirm sale to TTM as Bidvest Group ends 15-year relationship with club". Sport. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
  19. ↑ Fakude, Ernest. "Sekhukhune United: African All Stars set for name change". Kickoff. Retrieved 17 March 2025.
  20. ↑ Qoshe, Yolulwe (17 August 2021). "New name, new owners but same old problems! Inside the mess of Marumo Gallants ahead of the new season". The South African. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
  21. ↑ Qoshe, Yolulwe (17 August 2021). "New name, new owners but same old problems! Inside the mess of Marumo Gallants ahead of the new season". The South African. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
  22. ↑ staff, Sport24. "TTM make shocking return! Club confirms purchase of Royal AM's PSL status". Sport. Retrieved 24 January 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  23. ↑ Makhaya, Ernest (4 August 2022). "Free State Stars sold for R12 million, set to relocate - report". The South African. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  24. ↑ Munyai, Ofhani (1 July 2023). "Another PSL club sold, this time in KZN". FARPost. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  25. ↑ Makhaya, Ernest (10 May 2023). "Black Leopards buy Motsepe Foundation Championship status!". The South African. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  26. ↑ Rabothe, Tshepo (9 July 2024). "Marumo Gallants president hits back at 'status buying' criticism". FARPost. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  27. ↑ Munyai, Ofhani (27 July 2024). "New club confirmed as PSL release first division draft fixtures". FARPost. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  28. ↑ Sithole, Sinethemba (9 August 2024). "Maritzburg United to be rebranded to Durban City, PSL approves". FARPost. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
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