Banyana Banyana will earn equal match fees to Bafana Bafana – Faith Mazibuko
Their male counterparts apparently earn nearly 10 times as much they used to earn in match bonuses.
Desiree Ellis, coach of Banyana Banyana (Photo by Lee Warren/Gallo Images)
According to the current Gauteng MEC for sport, arts, culture and recreation, Faith Mazibuko, the South African Football Association (Safa) has agreed to pay Banyana Banyana players the same match fees as their male counterparts.
I’ve just heared good news… Banyana Banyana Players will be paid the same match fees as Bafana bafana , finally our cries have been heared… Of equal play for men & women, SAFA is on the right track now… Malibongwe Igama Lamakhosikazi ✊✊✊✊Tjovitjo
— MEC Faith Mazibuko (@FaithMazibukoSA) May 23, 2019
This after Mazibuko and various other entities such as Black First, Land First (BLF) made the public call for this change in the pay gap.
“I’ve just [heard] good news… Banyana Banyana Players will be paid the same match fees as Bafana bafana , finally our cries have been [heard]… Of equal play for men & women, SAFA is on the right track now… Malibongwe Igama Lamakhosikazi,” tweeted the MEC.
On the 1st December 2018, it was us who carried these posters🤟🤟, pic.twitter.com/YTN88dW2RQ
— MEC Faith Mazibuko (@FaithMazibukoSA) May 23, 2019
Earlier this year, BLF made their way to the Safa offices to demand parity for the national women’s team with the men’s team.
In a statement issued at the time, the party expressed their belief that the fact that Banyana Banyana being paid up to 10 times less in comparison with Bafana Bafana was “symptomatic of how black women are devalued and undermined in South Africa”.
BLF complained that Banyana Banyana’s players received a match bonus of R5,000 for a win in an official match, and R4,000 for a win in a friendly match, Bafana players could earn as much as R60,000 for a win‚ and R40,000 for a draw.
The senior national women’s team departed on Thursday evening for the 2019 Fifa Women’s World Cup which will be taking place in France between June 7 and July 7 2019.
READ NEXT: SA professional women’s league to be launched after WC
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