The South African Premier Division, officially referred to as the DStv Premiership for sponsorship purposes, is the premier men's

professional A professional is a member of a profession or any person who works in a specified professional activity. The term also describes the standards of education and training that prepare members of the profession with the particular knowledge and ski ...

football/soccer league and the highest division in the league system of South Africa, organized since 1996. As the top-level division in South Africa, it is commonly referred to as the

Premier Soccer League Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier. A premier will normally be a head of governm ...

(PSL) – the administrator of association football in the country.

History

The league was founded in 1996 after an agreement between the National Soccer League and the remnants of the National Professional Soccer League. It is stated on its website that the former name still exists today, but for legal purposes, with the ''Premier Soccer League'' being its

trade name A trade name, trading name, or business name, is a pseudonym used by companies that do not operate under their registered company name. The term for this type of alternative name is a "fictitious" business name. Registering the fictitious name w ...

. The league was reduced from 18 to 16 teams after the end of the 2001–02 season to avoid fixture congestion, causing the disbandment of two teams; Ria Stars and

Free State Stars Free State Stars Football club is a South African professional football club based in Bethlehem, Free State that plays in the National First Division. Formerly known as Makwane Computer Stars and Qwa Qwa Stars, their most significant honour ...

, though the latter was reformed and competing as of the 2020–21 season. In 2004, a match-fixing scandal rocked the football/soccer landscape in South Africa. An investigation codenamed "Operation Dribble" was launched by the

police The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and th ...

system of South Africa police in June 2004. More than 40 arrests were made, ranging from club bosses to match commissioners, referees and their assistants. Kaizer Chiefs successfully defended their league title in 2005 after they won the prestigious trophy in 2004 for the first time in a decade. The 2005–06 season saw

Mamelodi Sundowns Mamelodi Sundowns Football Club (simply known as Sundowns) is a South African professional football club based in Mamelodi, Pretoria in the Gauteng province that plays in the Premier Soccer League, the first tier of South African football ...

capturing the title for a fourth time. Since the 2017–18 season, they have dominated the league with winning league title after league title. In 2007, the PSL signed a television deal with SuperSport worth R 1.6 billion, which was the biggest sporting deal in the history of the country and ranked the league into the top 15 in the world in terms of commercial broadcast deals. In the same year, ABSA replaced Castle Lager as the title sponsor, with the latter having sponsored the league since its inception. SuperSport United won 3 league titles in a row between 2008 and 2010. As of May 2019, the league is rated as the 6th best in Africa according to the

CAF 5-Year Ranking The CAF 5-Year Ranking system is used by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to determine the number of clubs that each member association may enter its club football competitions; the CAF Champions League and the CAF Confederation Cup. ...

system. For the 2018–19 season, the PSL gives each club a monthly grant of R 2 million, with funds coming from the television broadcasting rights and national sponsorships, with the league champion earning R 10 million. In 2019, ABSA increased their sponsorship deal to the PSL to R 39.9 million, which meant that the league winners would secure R 15 million. ABSA would however announce its cancellation of its sponsorship with the PSL a year later on 4 June 2020. On 24 September 2020, Dr. Irvin Khoza and

MultiChoice MultiChoice is a South African company that operates DStv, a major satellite television service in Sub-Saharan Africa and GOtv, a minor service operating in over 9 countries of this area and Showmax service. MultiChoice was formed out of the sub ...

announced on

live television Live television is a television production broadcast in real-time, as events happen, in the present. In a secondary meaning, it may refer to streaming television over the Internet when content or programming is played continuously (not on deman ...

that the new sponsor would be ''DStv'', effectively rebranding the league as the DStv Premiership. MultiChoice also announced that

Showmax Showmax is an online subscription video on demand (SVOD) service which launched in South Africa on 19 August 2015. Showmax uses a localisation strategy to take on established video on demand competitors with a focus on local content and partner ...

would replace ''DStv'' as the

jersey Jersey ( , ; nrf, Jèrri, label= Jèrriais ), officially the Bailiwick of Jersey (french: Bailliage de Jersey, links=no; Jèrriais: ), is an island country and self-governing Crown Dependency near the coast of north-west France. It is the l ...

sponsor of SuperSport United F.C. so the latter would be independent to sponsor the league outright.

CEOs

Trevor Phillips Sir Mark Trevor Phillips (born 31 December 1953) is a British writer, broadcaster and former politician who served as Chair of the London Assembly from 2000 to 2001 and from 2002 to 2003. He presented '' Trevor Phillips on Sunday'', a Sunda ...

: 1996–1998 * Joe Ndlela: 1998–2000 * Robin Petersen: 2000–2001 (resigned) *

: 2002–2007 * Kjetil Siem: 2007–2011 * Zola Majavu: 2011 (resigned) *

Stanley Matthews Sir Stanley Matthews, CBE (1 February 1915 – 23 February 2000) was an English footballer who played as an outside right. Often regarded as one of the greatest players of the British game, he is the only player to have been knighted while sti ...

: 2012 (resigned) * Cambridge Mokanyane: 2013 (acting) * Brand de Villers: 2013–2015 * Mato Madlala: 2016 – present (acting)

Qualification for CAF competitions

Association ranking for 2021–22 CAF competitions

Association ranking for the 2021–22 CAF Champions League and the

2021–22 CAF Confederation Cup The 2021–22 CAF Confederation Cup (officially the 2021–22 TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup for sponsorship reasons) was the 19th edition of Africa's secondary club football tournament organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF ...

will be based on results from each CAF tournament from 2017 to 2020–21. ;Legend * CL: CAF Champions League * CC: CAF Confederation Cup *

Sponsorship

The league has had title sponsorships since its inception. Like the EFL Cup and the

English Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in the world. It was the top-level football league in Engl ...

divisions in England, the league takes its title sponsor's name to determine its official common name: * 1996–2007: Castle Lager (Castle Premiership) * 2007–2020: ABSA (ABSA Premiership) * 2020–present: DStv (DStv Premiership)

Format

As of the 2021–22 season, the league is composed of 16 teams competing from August to May each season, similar to the format of most European football leagues. Each team plays the other teams twice in a double round-robin format using the

three points for a win Three points for a win is a standard used in many sports leagues and group tournaments, especially in association football, in which three points are awarded to the team winning a match, with no points awarded to the losing team. If the game is ...

system. At the conclusion of each season, the champion and runner-up of the Premier Division qualify for the CAF Champions League, while the 3rd-place team and the

Nedbank Cup The Nedbank Cup is the current name of South Africa's premier club soccer knockout tournament. While many formats have been used over the years, the tournament has always been based on the idea of giving lower league and amateur teams a chance t ...

champions qualify for the CAF Confederation Cup. The bottom team in the league is automatically relegated and replaced by the winner of the GladAfrica Championship, whiles the team finishing immediately above the bottom team enters a mini-league playoff series with the 2nd and 3rd-placed league-finished teams of the GladAfrica Championship, with the playoff winners earning their place in the Premiership for the following season.

Broadcasting

The league's broadcaster is SuperSport, who in turn sub-leases the broadcasting rights to the

SABC The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) is the public broadcaster in South Africa, and provides 19 radio stations ( AM/ FM) as well as six television broadcasts to the general public. It is one of the largest of South Africa's stat ...

, so as to broadcast some matches on public television in South Africa. SuperSport was awarded an initial $277 million 5-year broadcast/TV rights deal in 2007 by the

to help commercialize the league globally beyond South Africa. matches on sunset times between Tuesdays and Fridays and on weekends whereas the SABC telecast matches played on Wednesday nights and on weekends. Since 2016, as SuperSport is a brand owned by the MultiChoice Group, the league is available to watch live and on demand via their specified services; the DStv App (formerly ''DStv Mobile'' and ''DStv Now'') and Showmax Pro. Both are accessible via the DStv website for PC and Mac and as

mobile app A mobile application or app is a computer program or software application designed to run on a mobile device such as a phone, tablet, or watch. Mobile applications often stand in contrast to desktop applications which are designed to run on d ...

s on Android and

iOS iOS (formerly iPhone OS) is a mobile operating system created and developed by Apple Inc. exclusively for its hardware. It is the operating system that powers many of the company's mobile devices, including the iPhone; the term also include ...

iPadOS iPadOS is a mobile operating system developed by Apple Inc. for its iPad line of tablet computers. It is a rebranded variant of iOS, the operating system used by Apple's iPhones, renamed to reflect the diverging features of the two product ...

for

mobile phone A mobile phone, cellular phone, cell phone, cellphone, handphone, hand phone or pocket phone, sometimes shortened to simply mobile, cell, or just phone, is a portable telephone that can make and receive calls over a radio frequency link whi ...

s, tablets and

Smart TV A smart TV, also known as a connected TV (CTV), is a traditional television set with integrated Internet and interactive Web 2.0 features, which allows users to stream music and videos, browse the internet, and view photos. Smart TVs are a techn ...

Past seasons

Previous Winners, Runner-up, Relegated & Promoted Teams

League titles by club

Manager records

League winning managers

Most successful managers

* Gordon Igesund is the only manager to have won the league with 4 clubs;

Manning Rangers Manning Rangers is a now defunct South African football club based in Durban. The side is best remembered as the Champions of the Inaugural season of South Africa's Premier Soccer League. History The club was founded in 1928 by GR Naidoo who, ...

1996-97,

Orlando Pirates Orlando Pirates Football Club (often known as "The Buccaneers") is a South African professional football club based in the Houghton suburb of the city of Johannesburg and plays in the top-tier system of Football in South Africa known as DStv ...

2000-01, Santos 2001-02,

2006-07. * Gavin Hunt and Pitso Mosimane are the managers that have retained the title the most times; (3) SuperSport United 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10, (3)

2017-18, 2018–19, 2019-20 respectively. * Seven foreign managers have won the league, with

Ted Dumitru Theodore "Ted" Dumitru (born Dumitru Teodorescu; 2 September 1939 – 26 May 2016) was a Romanian football manager who is best known for his time in South Africa. Dumitru was one of few coaches who have led South Africa's 'big three' clubs ...

having won the most titles, 4.

League records

*Ever presents (714 matches): Kaizer Chiefs,

, SuperSport United *Most Premier Division titles: 12 –

(1997/98), (1998/99), (1999/00), (2005/06), (2006/07), (2013/14), (2015/16), (2017/18), (2018/19), (2019/20), (2020/21), (2021/22) *Biggest Premier Division win: 8–1 – SuperSport United vs Zulu Royals (2003/04) *Most wins: 373–

*Most draws: 154 –

*Most defeats: 184 –

Ajax Cape Town Cape Town Spurs F.C. (formerly known as Ajax Cape Town) is a South African professional football club based in Parow in the city of Cape Town that plays in the National First Division. Dutch Eredivisie club AFC Ajax was their parent club and ...

*Most goals scored in a season: 73 – Kaizer Chiefs (1998/99) *Most goals conceded in a season: 85 – Mother City (1999/00) *Most points in a season: 75 –

(1998/99) & (1999/00) and Kaizer Chiefs (1998/99) *Most points in a season (30 games): 71 – Mamelodi Sundowns (2015/16)

League participants

Local trophies winners

Top goalscorers

All-time top goalscorers

*123 goals:

Siyabonga Nomvete Siyabonga Eugene Nomvethe (; born 2 December 1977) is a South African former professional soccer player who played as a forward. Nomvethe played in several European leagues. Nomvethe represented the South Africa national team from his debut o ...

Makhaya, Ernest
"AMAZULU STRIKER SIYABONGA NOMVETHE BECOMES PSL'S ALL-TIME GOALSCORER"
'' Goal (website)'', England, 21 October 2017. Retrieved on 23 October 2017. *111 goals:

Daniel Mudau Daniel Mudau (born 4 September 1968) is a South African former footballer who played at both professional and international levels as a striker. Early life Daniel Mbulaheni Mudau was born on 4 September 1968 in Mamelodi. Career Mudau played ...

*104 goals: Manuel Bucuane *104 goals: Mabhuti Khenyeza *101 goals:

Siphiwe Tshabalala Lawrence Siphiwe Tshabalala (; born 25 September 1984) is a South African professional football player who most recently played as a midfielder for AmaZulu. He is considered to be one of the most well-known and decorated South African soccer pl ...

*101 goals:

Collins Mbesuma Collins Mbesuma (born 3 February 1984) is a Zambian professional footballer who plays for South African club Pretoria Callies. He is nicknamed ''The Hurricane'' or ''Ntofontofo''. Club career Mbesuma was born in Luanshya. His father, Franci ...

NB: list includes all players who have scored at least 100 goals in the PSL era. Also includes cup competitions. Source:

All-time table

Founding members

AmaZulu Zulu people (; zu, amaZulu) are a Nguni ethnic group native to Southern Africa. The Zulu people are the largest ethnic group and nation in South Africa, with an estimated 10–12 million people, living mainly in the province of KwaZulu-Nata ...

* Bloemfontein Celtic *

Cape Town Spurs A cape is a clothing accessory or a sleeveless outer garment which drapes the wearer's back, arms, and chest, and connects at the neck. History Capes were common in medieval Europe, especially when combined with a hood in the chaperon. T ...

* Hellenic * Jomo Cosmos * Kaizer Chiefs *

* Michau Warriors * Moroka Swallows *

QwaQwa Stars Free State Stars Football club is a South African professional football club based in Bethlehem, Free State that plays in the National First Division. Formerly known as Makwane Computer Stars and Qwa Qwa Stars, their most significant honour i ...

Real Rovers Real may refer to: Currencies * Brazilian real (R$) * Central American Republic real * Mexican real * Portuguese real * Spanish real * Spanish colonial real Music Albums * Real (L'Arc-en-Ciel album), ''Real'' (L'Arc-en-Ciel album) (2000) * Real ...

* SuperSport United * Bush Bucks *

Vaal Professionals Vaal Professionals were a South African football (soccer) club. Based in Vereeniging, they were a founder member of the Premier Soccer League Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local ...

Witbank Aces Black Aces were a South African football club that played in the Premier Soccer League. Aces usually played their home games in the Mpumalanga province but were based and trained in Johannesburg. History The original club was founded in 1937 b ...

Wits University The University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg (), is a multi-campus South African public research university situated in the northern areas of central Johannesburg. It is more commonly known as Wits University or Wits ( or ). The university ...

External links

*
Previous official website as ''ABSA Premiership''
(Archived)

at

RSSSF The Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation (RSSSF) is an international organization dedicated to collecting statistics about association football. The foundation aims to build an exhaustive archive of football-related information from around th ...

References

{{CAF Leagues Premier Soccer League

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...

1 Football Professional sports leagues in South Africa