British settlers introduce football to South Africa and the game gains popularity among all racial groups.

However, it excluded black players.

In the 1930s, black South Africans established the South African Bantu Football Association.  

Apartheid policies segregate sports, creating separate leagues for different races.

Football Association of South Africa (FASA): Represented whites and managed the National Football League.

South African Soccer Federation (SASF): Dominated by Indians and Coloureds.

Bantu League: Represented Black players.

FIFA suspends South Africa's membership because of its racist apartheid policy.

South Africa tried to rejoin the International Olympic Committee by offering a mixed team, but the IOC rejected the proposal.

The government organized its own games, allowing multiracial teams to compete while maintaining segregated stands for fans.

Black and white players stayed together at the Burgerspark Hotel, temporarily setting apartheid aside.
Four racial teams competed in soccer at the Rand Stadium. But the teams were not mixed. There was a team for whites, a team for blacks, a team for colourds and a team for Indians.
In 1973, the first multiracial South African soccer team defeated Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) 7-0 at the Rand Stadium.

Spectators from Soweto and Johannesburg’s northern suburbs mingled, celebrating a new era in South African soccer.

The team wore an emblem similar to the Springbok, symbolizing unity.

But still, FIFA did not lift South Africa’s suspension.

The segregation in sports ended officially in 1991, four years before South Africa’s first democratic elections.

In that year, Football Association of South Africa (FASA), the South African Soccer Association (SASA), the South African Soccer Federation (SASF), and the South African National Football Association (SANFA) came together and formed the South African Football Association (SAFA).

1992

South Africa rejoined FIFA. Consequently, South Africa also joined CAF in the same year. To celebrate this milestone, South Africa invited Cameroon to play the South African national team. Cameroon were FIFA World Cup quarter-finalists at that time.

1994

The national under 23 team (Amaglug-glug) were formed. To date, the team has participated in (number) of All Africa Games and in (number) Olympic Games.

From 1996:

South Africa hosted and won the Africa Cup of Nations.

In the same year, the National Soccer League (NSL) and the remnants of the National Professional Soccer League agreed to form the Premier Soccer League (PSL).

Currently known as Betway Premiership for sponsorship reasons, the PSL is the highest division in South Africa’s league system.  

In 1998, South Africa qualified for both the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) competition in Burkina Faso and for the FIFA World Cup tournament in France, respectively.

Since rejoining international sports, South Africa is very much a fabric of international football.

The country qualified for the FIFA World Cup again in 2002, which was held in Korea and Japan.

In 2010, South Africa made history by being the first country in the southern hemisphere to host the FIFA World Cup.

For the next decade, there was a lull in the national football team as they failed to qualify for either AFCON or the FIFA World Cup. But in 2023, Bafana Bafana qualified for the AFCON in  Cote D'ivoire where they reached the semi-finals, coming at number 3 and winning a bronze medal.

In 2024, Bafana Bafana again qualified for the AFCON in Morocco in 2025.

Currently, the team is on course to qualify for the FIFA World Cup in the United States of America in 2026. Bafana Bafana are leading Group C in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

During this period, the women’s national team also achieved milestones:

Banyana Banyana

The women’s senior national team (Banyana Banyana) is among the top three national teams in Africa. In 2011, they came fourth in All-Africa Games in Mozambique and in 2012, they participated in the London Olympic Games.