Parliament’s Sport, Art and Culture portfolio committee has heard that female athletes still need to work multiple jobs in order to put food on the table. This is contained in a report by the Commission for Gender Equality, which did a study about inequality in sport, using South Africa’s national women’s soccer team, Banyana Banyana, as a case study.
The Commission is currently appearing before the Committee to provide a briefing on its report, “Gender Inequality in Sport: Insight into the Women’s National Soccer Team-Banyana Banyana”.
Follow the full proceedings here:https://t.co/ArzRSClpgb
— Commission for Gender Equality (@CGE_ZA) August 28, 2026
Researcher at the CGE, Lieketseng Mohlakoane-Motopi says women’s football still plays second fiddle despite their many achievements.
“Currently, female athletes are often required to juggle sports with other income generating activities. They don’t give it a full focus because whatever that they get there, it’s not sufficient as the income that the bafana bafana get,” says Mohlakoane-Motopi.
NATIONAL SPORT FRIDAYS | Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie says it is important for South Africans to support all national teams. pic.twitter.com/rtmv1NS7et
— SABC News (@SABCNews) May 8, 2026
Banyana Banyana coach, Dr Desiree Ellis appeared before Parliament’s Sport, Art and Culture portfolio committee and says the establishment of a professional league is of the utmost importance for the growth and survival of the sport.
Department of Sport, Arts and Culture brings women colleagues together in Pretoria through motivational talks, networking and team‑building activities, empowering women and strengthening unity across the Department as part of Women’s Month celebration. pic.twitter.com/tIVThspirl
— Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (@SportArtsCultur) August 28, 2026
She says outcries for a professional league has been ongoing.
“A professional league is of utmost importance. We lose players because they have to put food on the table. We lose players because they work weekends. Players work nine to fives. They train in the evening and these same players are the ones that play for the national team. Can you just imagine if they just needed to concentrate on football, where we would be in women’s football,” says Ellis.
Ellis says online bullying is becoming one of the biggest challenges for the team. She told MPs that while equal pay, sponsorships and safeguarding remain a challenge, the most urgent problem, is cyber bullying.
“I think cyber bullying has become big. As sports people, we’re open to criticism. There’s no two ways about it. But I think a line has to be drawn when it becomes personal. That has become so big that we’ve seen people commit suicide. We’ve seen players retire from sport because of that. I think that is the big ill now more than the safeguarding issue,” says Ellis.
