The 1996–97 National First Division was the 1st season of
the second tier of South African
soccer
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...
since the reorganisation in 1996.
It consisted of 76 clubs in four streams; Northern, Southern, Western Cape and Natal/Eastern Cape, with the winners being
Black Leopards
Black Leopards FC is a South African professional association football, football club based in Thohoyandou, Vhembe, Vhembe Region, Limpopo, that plays in the National First Division.
History
The club was founded in 1983 by business people in ...
, (Northern),
Tembisa Classic
Durban City are a South African soccer club based in the city of Durban. Prior to the start of the 2024–25 National First Division, they were called Maritzburg United, and were based in the city of Pietermaritzburg. They were promoted to th ...
(Southern),
Santos (Western Cape) and
African Wanderers
African Wanderers is a South African professional football club, based in the Chatsworth township, a suburb of Durban
Durban ( ; , from meaning "bay, lagoon") is the third-most populous city in South Africa, after Johannesburg and Cape To ...
(Natal/Eastern Cape) respectively.
At the end of the season, the division was reduced to two stream of 20 teams each.
Northern Stream
Western Cape Stream
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:1996-97 National First Division
National First Division seasons
1998–99 in South African soccer