Getting a raw deal

22 September 2014

A reply to a DA parliamentary question has revealed massive gaps between match fees for male and female national team players in cricket and football and as such I will be meeting with both the South African Football Association (SAFA) and Cricket South Africa (CSA) soon to discuss this matter with the hope of reviewing current remuneration packages for Banyana Banyana and the Proteas women's team. 

We are still awaiting a response from SARU on the match fees for professional rugby players. 

The discrepancies are huge:

Banyana Banyana players earn between R2 000 and R5 000 per game, while Bafana Bafana players earn R60 000 for a win and R30 000 for a draw.

The Proteas women's team players earn between R7000 and R10 000 per test match, while the Proteas men's team players earn R46 000 per test match and earn an additional R34 000 bonus for winning a test match. 

The current pay structure entrenches gender inequality in sports. 

For the majority of these players, match fees from the national teams are their only income. The fees for women's players are not enough to sustain a professional career in sports. 

The logic by the two federations that the senior men's teams are remunerated more due to the fact their value proposition is much higher than their female counterparts is not good enough. The women's sporting codes should be built up over time by providing more incentives for talented sportswomen to become professional athletes. 

If the sports federations play their part, we can professionalise our women's sports and create strong value propositions.  

The bottom line is that both federations have lucrative sponsors, in addition to the individual sponsors for the senior men's teams, which are a source of revenue they can use to reward our female national team players. 

The DA will continue to push for fair remuneration of sports players across all codes.

Text of the parliamentary reply:

718 M S Seshoka (DA) to ask the Minister of Sport and Recreation:

What were the match fees paid to the senior national (a) female and (b) male (i) cricket, (ii) football, (iii) rugby, (iv) hockey and (v) netball teams for official  matches for a (aa) win, (bb) loss and (cc) draw (aaa) in the (aaaa) 2010-11, (bbbb) 2011-12, and (cccc) 2012-13 financial years and (bbb) during the period 1 January 2014 up to the latest specified date for which information is available? NWB02E

REPLY

(i) CRICKET SOUTH AFRICA
(a) FEMALE

Female cricket is still at an amateur level. Athletes are paid between R7 000 to R1O 000 per match

(b) MALE
2011-12

Test Match Fee - R43 200 per Test Match
Test Win Bonus - R32 400 per Test Match Win
One Day International Match Fee - R14 040 per ODI Match
One Day International Win Bonus - R6 480 per ODI Match Win

Pro 20 Match Fee - R7 560 per pro 20 Match
Pro 20 Win Bonus - R3 240 per Pro 20 Match Win
2012-2013

Test Match Fee - R46 656 per Test Match
Test Win Bonus - R34 992 per Test Match Win

One Day International Match Fee - R15 163 per ODI Match
One Day International Win Bonus - R6 998 per ODI Match Win

Pro 20 Match Fee - R8 165 per Pro 20 Match
Pro 20 Bonus - R3 500 per Pro 20 Match Win

(ii) FOOTBALL:

(a) 2010-2014 (Banyana Banyana)

Female soccer is still at an amateur level. Athletes are paid between R2 000 and R5 000 per match

(b) 2010-2014 (Bafana Bafana)

a) R60 000 for win (per match)
b) ROO for loss (per match)
c) R30 000 for draw (per match)

(iii) RUGBY

SARU has not yet responded to the questions

(iv) HOCKEY SA
SA Hockey is an amateur association. As such no players get paid for their services to the national team. The limited sponsor funding received covers team preparation, logistical costs such as travel, meals, equipment and accommodation.

(v) NETBALL SA

2010

Payment for win -R1 500
Payment for draw -R1 000
Payment for loss - R500 and

2011

Payment for win -R1 500
Payment for draw -R 1000
Payment for loss - R500 and

2012

Payment for win -R1 500
Payment for draw -R1 000
Payment for loss - R500 and
Jamaica tour - (June) - R 5000

Quad Series and Fast Five (14 October to 10 November) R 15 000.

Diamond challenge (August 2012)- R 12 000 per player-

2013

Paid R 500 for squad camps and transport claims from January to July 2013

Paid R 3000 per month from July to December 2013

England Test series - R 3 500

England Test senes NMB -R 3000.00

Diamond Challenge - R 2 000.00

New Zealand Fast Five - R 2 500

Statement issued by Solly Malatsi MP, DA Shadow Minister of Sports and Recreation, September 22 2014

Click here to sign up to receive our free daily headline email newsletter