Grassroots football winner in Safa’s new deal with SABC

Smiso Msomi

The president of Safa has expressed that his entity’s desire to further football development was key in their new deal with the SABC.

The two organisations have added a further four years to their long-standing 32-year relationship and the agreement they have had since South Africa was readmitted into international football in 1992.

The deal will run until 2028, which will see the national broadcaster continue to bring all the South African football men’s and women’s national teams, as well as the Hollywoodbets Super League and regional leagues, to the football-loving public.

Jordaan, who was in the SABC studios to make this announcement, expressed his satisfaction at agreeing to a new deal and explained how the public broadcaster aligns with Safa’s strategies.

“The continued relationship between football and the public broadcaster augurs well for football development in our country,” he said.

“The extension of this relationship means the public will continue to watch our national teams in action as well as Safa’s various national programmes.

“Our Vision 2030 aims to take football development to every corner of the country and there is no better partner than SABC.”

SABC Group CEO Nomsa Chabeli also applauded the beginning of a new chapter between the two entities.

“This is a partnership that has been holding us in good stead for the past 32 years and has allowed South Africans to be part of the football journey,” she explained.

“We have an agreement in place now for another four-year cycle, and what’s exciting about this new cycle is that it’s not just limited to only the senior teams, for example, Bafana Bafana. It’s also got the Banyana Banyana matches, including the Hollywoodbets Super League, which is critical.”

Chabeli also embraced the idea of having more junior-level matches broadcast on the SABC where the next generation can be quickly picked out.

“But also, for me personally, I love the fact that we are going to be able to showcase the grassroots league, which is critical for the future of this country – young people coming out in numbers and playing, as the future stars of football in South Africa, so it’s so critical that we are there.”

The relationship between Safa and the SABC has not always been roses and sunshine, having had several collisions in the past.

Safa had sought to benefit financially from their deal with the SABC and it had appeared the football governing body was flirting with the idea of jumping ship and getting in bed with pay-channel SuperSport.

They even went as far as consulting parliament’s sports portfolio committee in the past but it appears all of those terms and conditions have been met.