Growing calls to close gender pay gap in SA sports

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Significant efforts need to be made to reduce the existing pay gap between men and women in South African sport. Although certain codes are trying to address the imbalance, role players say the pay gap remains a reality. Corporates have a huge role to play in creating a more equal playing field for athletes across the board.

The sporting world has traditionally been seen as a man’s world. Slowly but surely, however, female athletes have started to make their mark across a wide range of sporting codes. Despite this, Cash N Sport Director, Nqobile Ndlovu says investment in women’s sport does not match that of their male counterparts.

“If we just run through some of the gender pay gaps in the various sports in football between Banyana and Bafana players is about 1 100% gap. The springboks the average male player will earn roughly 3 million a season at minimum and an average women will earn R221 000 that’s about 1 155% gap. In cricket it’s better its only 300%. A protea’s women player will earn R450 000 and a male player R1.8 million,” says Ndlovu.

Ndlovu says governments and corporates could play a huge role in addressing the imbalances.

“More sponsors would definitely push the needle and would allow federations to be able to pay women more but perhaps we have top start looking at it from a different angle such as other countries are doing, saying that beyond the playing field men and women are playing a sport, it’s their job and employment therefor employment equity should apply and make sure that these people get paid the same.”

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Momentum have done much in terms of supporting and developing women’s cricket. But its Head of Marketing, Charlotte Nsubuga-Mukasa says this is a long-term process that requires patience.

“If you’re in it for the money only, this is not your game, but if you understand the value that you play by shifting society and norms so that we can create a better, healthier GDP, you need to understand that you’ve got to find women at grass-roots level, you’ve got to find them on school soccer fields, at universities and you’ve got to take your time in trying to understand. It’s beyond just giving money, which I think is lazy. Take the time to understand what do athletes need to compete at the Olympics, what do they need when they are flying business class to make sure that they are rested before they represent South Africa. But it takes time and research,” says Nsubuga-Mukasa.

Commercial investments have led to various successes for South African women’s teams. Banyana Banyana are the current African soccer champions, the Proteas netball side were semi-finalists at the previous World Cup, and the national women’s cricket team reached the T20 World Cup final earlier this year.

Proteas wicket-keeper, Sinalo Jafta, says sponsors can make a significant difference in the lives of sports women.

“You take netball and Banyana Banyana, you can see the shift in the mentality of the players. You look at Mamelodi Sundowns and what they are doing and you obviously work as an athlete but as soon as you put remuneration in the players work ethics you get pushed even more,” says Jafta.

2023 is the year of women in sport. Calls to ensure equal pay, are perhaps now more justified, and even more necessary than ever before. -Reporting by Liezl Olivier