Facing mounting financial pressures, the South African Football Association (Safa) is considering cutting salaries for its top-earning staff. This is in an effort to avoid bankruptcy and potential liquidation. The plan, revealed at a recent National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Mbombela, aims to reduce the association’s annual salary bill by R10 million.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Proposed Salary Reductions
Finance committee chairperson Mxolisi Sibam tabled the proposal on Tuesday, suggesting salary reductions ranging from 5% to 25% for employees earning over R600 000 a year. Staff earning above this threshold would remain unaffected.
An NEC member who attended the meeting said the cuts were part of a broader strategy to bring Safa’s total salary expenses under R35 million per year. This is amid liabilities exceeding R260 million.
Executives Likely to Be Affected
CEO Lydia Monyepao, executive management, CFO Gronie Hluyo, and marketing executive Errol Madlala will likely face the impact. Chief operating officer Tebogo Motlanthe has already left the association. It remains unclear whether technical team members, such as Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos, Banyana Banyana coach Desiree Ellis, incoming technical director Molefi Ntseki, or team manager Vincent Tseka, will face cuts.
Broos, reportedly Safa’s highest-paid employee earning over R1 million a month, is unlikely to be affected because he plans to retire after the World Cup. Ellis may face changes if she signs a new contract.
Nine provincial executive officers (PEOs), who currently earn between R300 000 and R400 000 annually, could also face significant reductions. Sibam reportedly warned employees that if they did not accept a pay cut to R8 500 per month starting in July 2026, they could be dismissed.
Other Cost-Saving Measures
Safa is also looking at additional ways to reduce expenses. The NEC will restrict meetings to single-day events, allowing overnight stays only for members who travel more than 600 km. This will cut hotel costs by up to 60 percent. CAF will reduce per diem allowances for heads of delegations in interclub competitions and shift travel costs to clubs. The organisation will link staff bonuses to revenue exceeding R350 million. It will appoint a restructuring expert for 2–5 years to implement cost-saving measures, who will report directly to the CEO.
Financial Snapshot
In the 2023–24 financial year, Safa reported revenue of R380 million against operational costs of R385 million. This alone highlights the urgent need for financial discipline.
This is not the first time Safa has proposed salary reductions. In 2020, the company imposed a mandatory 15 percent pay cut across all divisions to avoid financial collapse, affecting then-Bafana coach Molefi Ntseki and other employees.
Related article: FIFA Opens Case Against SAFA: What It Means for Bafana Bafana’s World Cup Hopes
