The South African Football Association, Hollywoodbets, and the South African Broadcasting Corporation have announced a bold new era for women’s football in South Africa with the unveiling of a refreshed format for the Hollywoodbets Super League at the SABC Studio in Johannesburg on Tuesday, 12 May 2026.
The venture underscores the continued commitment to building a stronger, commercially viable, and fully professional women’s football ecosystem in South Africa. Commencing this year, the league will move from a 16-team national format into two streams of eight teams each.
The structure is designed to reduce the financial burden on clubs, improve match day experiences, strengthen the broadcast product, and create more high-stakes football throughout the season.
A major feature of this format will be the introduction of a Championship Match, creating a marquee event for fans, sponsors, and broadcasters while increasing the excitement around the league. The changes also pave the way for a two-division structure from 2027, introducing promotion and relegation to strengthen competitiveness and long-term sustainability within women’s football.
Alongside the new format, the league will also introduce a refreshed digital platform. Fans can look forward to festivalised match weekends, centrally coordinated event experiences, and enhanced broadcast production in partnership with the SABC.
Fans can expect awesome match day experiences, increased television exposure, stronger radio promotion, and improved streaming accessibility where broadcast coverage is unavailable.
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SAFA and Hollywoodbets believe the new structure represents more than just a format change, it is a strategic reset that will build a stronger, more sustainable, and more exciting future for women’s football in South Africa.
SAFA CEO Lydia Monyepao said: “The introduction of the festivals for this league will enhance the event experience for fans, level the competition for clubs, and enhance the broadcast for viewers at home on the SABC platform. This enables us to increase the number of televised matches on SABC and thus enhancing sponsor value for Hollywoodbets, and also attract new sponsors.”
“We appreciate the continued partnership with Hollywoodbets and the collaboration in our roadmap to realise the goals of our SAFA Women’s Football Strategy 2025-28 launched last year,” said Monyepao. “Good luck to all the teams with the upcoming season of Super-Era and Super-Rise, and we look forward to the fans experiencing the best of African women’s football.”
Hollywood Group spokesperson Vuyisile Ngobese added: “Hollywoodbets has believed in the potential of women’s football since day one. This new format will create a stronger platform for clubs and players and provide a better experience for supporters across the country. Together with SAFA, we remain committed to helping grow and professionalise the women’s game in South Africa.”
Keletso Totlhanyo, Head of Sport at SABC, said: “We are delighted to be one of the key enablers at the forefront of advocating for the development and empowerment of women in sports. For us, this is just not about broadcasting matches, it is about giving women’s sport the respect, platform, and future it deserves.”
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“As a public service media, we have the reach and responsibility to ensure that women’s sport is accessible to all communities, and we do this with our partners to make sure that we contribute to social progress and the long-term sustainability of women’s sport,” said Totlhanyo.
The new era of the Hollywoodbets Super League is expected to deliver stronger competition, improved commercial opportunities, enhanced fan experiences, and greater long-term sustainability for clubs, all while continuing to elevate the standard and visibility of women’s football in South Africa.
Original Copy: SAFA, with editing by gsportse
Main Photo Caption: Sponsors, administrators, team members, and coaches join members of the media at the South African Football Association, Hollywoodbets, and the South African Broadcasting Corporation announcement of a bold new era for women’s football in South Africa, unveiling a refreshed format for the Hollywoodbets Super League at the SABC Studio in Johannesburg on Tuesday, 12 May 2026. Photo: Hollywoodbets Super League
