In South African soccer, it is possible for clubs to purchase the licence to play in a league from another club, purchase a club in its entirety, or change names and locations, with relative ease. For this reason, clubs buying their way into the upper divisions is not uncommon.
A number of league and cup winners have been sold in this way, including Manning Rangers, Wits, Moroka Swallows, Bloemfontein Celtic and SuperSport United.
This practice has been heavily criticised, with former Premier Soccer League (PSL) Chief Executive Trevor Phillips complaining that regular name changes and license buy outs was turning the PSL into a "mumbo-jumbo" league, and multiple league winning coach Gavin Hunt also adding his voice to the criticism.
Clubs in the top-tier were sometimes bought by businessman and renamed to have the same name as a club with previous history. In May 2008, this was partially resolved when governing body FIFA stepped in to prevent clubs purchasing licenses to play in a higher league. In 2024, Thabo Nthethe called for stricter measures to regulate buying of clubs, reflecting on the demise of one of the country's best-supported clubs, Bloemfontein Celtic, after the new owner sold the Premiership franchise two years after purchasing the club.
In 2002, the league organisers opted to purchase two clubs; Free State Stars (Qwa-Qwa) and Ria Stars (Polokwane) and dissolve them to reduce fixture congestion. Each club was purchased for R8million. Free State Stars were originally known as Qwa Qwa Stars. Another club known as Free State Stars F.C. has been established since. The owner of the original Free State Stars purchased a club in the lower divisions Maholosiane and renamed it to Free State Stars.
In January 2025, the PSL faced criticism over the poor vetting of owners buying their way into the Premiership. Royal AM, who had bought their way to the Premiership at the start of the 2021–22 season, had their fixtures suspended after the South African Revenue Service issued a preservation order against the club over unpaid tax debts by owner Shauwn Mkhize, and players salaries went unpaid.
Original clubNew clubDate changedReason for changeKhakhu Fast XIMapate Silver Stars1998Cape Town Spurs & Seven StarsAjax Cape Town1999Result of merger after Ajax Amsterdam buy outQwa-Qwa StarsFree State Stars1999HP Silver StarsSilver Stars200xName was shortened, when the Highlands Park junior team stopped as a nursery team for the club.Mapate Silver StarsHP Silver Stars2000Larry Brookstone, the owner of Highlands Park, bought the majority of shares. Despite the new ownership, the club continued to play at Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane. AmazuluZulu Royals2003Basotho TigersNorth West Tigers2004University of Port Elizabeth-FCK (UPE-FCK) & Port Elizabeth TechnikonNelson Mandela Metropolitan University-FCK (NMMU-FCK)2004Merger between universities.HellenicBenoni Premier United2005Wits UniversityBidvest Wits2006Pietersburg PillarsCity Pillars2005UthukelaNathi Lions2005Tembisa ClassicMaritzburg United2005DynamosAmaZulu2006https://www.timeslive.co.za/sport/soccer/2018-06-22-the-clubs-platinum-stars-have-joined-in-sas-football-graveyard/Manning RangersFidentia Rangers2006Mabopane Young MastersFC AK 2006PJ StarsM Tigers2007Silver Stars Platinum StarsMay 2007Royal Bafokeng Nation (RBN) entered as the club's sponsor in 2006 and relocated the team to play at Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Phokeng. Club name also changed, when RBN bought 51% of the shares in May 2007.Vasco da Gama FC Cape Town2007Benoni Premier UnitedThanda Royal Zulu10 October 2007City PillarsMpumalanga Black Aces2007Fidentia RangersIkapa Sporting2008Mbekweni CosmosChippa United2010New owner's nickname was 'Chippa'.Nathi LionsAtlie2011Franchise sold and moved from Durban to Tembisa.Bay UnitedPolokwane City2012Club moved from Port Elizabeth to Polokwane.Sivutsa StarsRoyal Eagles2014Vasco da GamaStellenbosch2016Vasco sold National First Division (NFD) franchise and a new club was formed in StellenboschPalmerosCasric F.C.2017FC Palmeros were renamed Casric F.C. prior to the start of the 2017–18 SAFA Second Divisionhttps://www.news24.com/citypress/sport/meet-the-nfds-new-kids-on-the-block-casric-stars-20220903Ajax Cape TownCape Town Spurs2020Ajax Amsterdam ended their association with the club, and it was renamed Cape Town SpursHighlands ParkTS Galaxy2020TS Galaxy purchased the Premiership status of Highlands ParkBidvest WitsTshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila2020Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila purchased the Premiership status of 2016–17 Premiership winners Bidvest WitsTshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila/African All StarsSekhukhune United2020The owner of African All Stars purchased the NFD status of Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila, forming a new club, Sekhukhune UnitedBloemfontein CelticRoyal AM2021Royal AM purchased the Premiership status from Bloemfontein CelticTshakhuma Tsha MadzivhandilaMarumo Gallants2021Marumo Gallants purchased the Premiership status from Tshakhuma Tsha MadzivhandilaRoyal AMTshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila2021Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila purchased the NFD licence from Royal AMFree State StarsCasric Stars2022Free State Stars were sold and renamed Casric Stars prior to the start of the 2022–23 National First DivisionUthongathiMilford F.C.2022Uthongathi's National First Division license was purchased by Milford F.C..All StarsBlack Leopards2022Relegated NFD club Black Leopards purchased the status of All Stars to continue to play in the division.Moroka SwallowsMarumo Gallants2024Marumo Gallants purchased the Premiership status from Moroka SwallowsMarumo GallantsLeruma United2024Leruma United purchased the National First Division status of Marumo Gallants Maritzburg UnitedDurban City2024Club moved from Pietermaritzburg to Durban.SuperSport UnitedSiwelele2025SuperSport sold to club owned by the son of the Minister of Sport, Gayton McKenzie.JDR StarsLeicesterford City2025JDR sold to Leicesterford and moved to Mpumalanga.Pretoria CalliesLerumo Lions2025North West Province's Lerumo Lions purchased the status of Pretoria Callies.Original clubNew clubDate changedReason for change
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