The National Professional Soccer League (NPSL) was a South African association football league that existed between 1971 and 1995. During those years, the league, however, had three completely different organisations.

History With sport racially segregated during the apartheid era, there had been attempts since 1969 to get a league for black teams underway, similar to the National Football League for white teams.

By January 1971, at the South African Bantu Football Association AGM, Orlando Pirates, Pimville United Brothers, Bantu Callies, Kimberley Dalton Brothers, Real Katlehong City, Witbank Black Aces, Moroka Swallows Big XV and a Mamelodi XI were committed to the new league.

With sponsorship secured, other clubs lined up to join, and there was talk of a second division. The league kicked off in April 1971 with a double-header at Orlando Stadium, and the success of the launch saw South African Breweries join as official sponsors.

1971–1977

Year Winner Runner-up Third-place NPSL Castle League (for blacks) 1971 Orlando Pirates Kaizer Chiefs Moroka Swallows Big XV 1972 AmaZulu 1973 Orlando Pirates 1974 Kaizer Chiefs Moroka Swallows Ltd. Zulu Royals 1975 Orlando Pirates 1976 Orlando Pirates Kaizer Chiefs Moroka Swallows Ltd. 1977 Kaizer Chiefs

1978–1984

In 1978, the NPSL merged with the National Football League (NFL), which previously had been organised only for White South African players in 1959–1977. The two leagues together formed a new topflight multi-racial football league in 1978–1984 (also named NPSL), where teams were still designated as white or black, but the white teams were allowed to field a maximum of three black players.

Year Winner Runner-up Third-placeNPSL Castle League 1978 Lusitano Wits University Arcadia 1979 Kaizer Chiefs Arcadia Highlands Park 1980 Highlands Park Kaizer Chiefs Wits University 1981 Kaizer Chiefs Highlands Park Arcadia 1982 Durban City Wits University Kaizer Chiefs 1983 Durban City Arcadia Kaizer Chiefs 1984 Kaizer Chiefs Moroka Swallows Durban City

In January 1985, Kaizer Chiefs owner Kaizer Motaung lodged a complaint that it was unfair that 10% of revenue from a testimonial match for Ace Ntsoelengoe and Jomo Sono was expected to go to various administrative bodies including SANFA. Several clubs question the conflicts of interest for George Thabe to be the president of the NPLS and SANFA at the same time. Fifteen of the sixteen clubs petitioned for Thabe to resign as NPSL chairman and a proposal for constitution changes that remove SANFA’s veto rights over NPSL. On 29 January, Thabe told those clubs who wanted to him resign should leave the NPSL.

In February 1985, it was announced that the clubs wanting to break away had arranged sponsorship with South African Breweries, the existing sponsor of NPSL, and a newly created National Soccer League (NSL) would begin on 23 February in accordance with anti-apartheid principles.

1985–1995

The remaining part of the NPSL continued to co-exist as an independent league, meaning South Africa had three top division leagues; the NSL, the NPSL and the Federation Professional League (FPL). When the NPSL folded, the remaining teams played the following 1996–97 season in the NSL 2nd Division, renamed as the National First Division.

Year Winner Runner-up Third-placeNPSL 1985 Umtata Bush Bucks 1986 Vaal Professionals 1987 Vaal Professionals 1988 Vaal Professionals 1989 Real Sweepers 1990 De Beers 1991 Oriental Spurs 1992 Arcadia Shepherds 1993 unknown 1994 unknown 1995 Witbank All Stars

Most titles

TeamTitlesYears Kaizer Chiefs 1974, 1977, 1979, 1981, 1984 Orlando Pirates 1971, 1973, 1975, 1976 Vaal Professionals 1986, 1987, 1988 Durban City 1982, 1983 AmaZulu 1972 Lusitano 1978 Highlands Park 1980 Bush Bucks 1985 De Beers 1990 Oriental Spurs 1991 Arcadia Shepherds 1992 Witbank All Stars 1995

References