In South African soccer, it is possible for clubs to purchase the licence to play in a league from another club, purchase a club in its entirety, or change names and locations, with relative ease. For this reason, clubs buying their way into the upper divisions is not uncommon.
Former Premier Soccer League (PSL) Chief Executive Trevor Phillips complained that regular name changes and license buy outs was turning the PSL into a "mumbo-jumbo" league.[1] Clubs in the top-tier were sometimes bought by businessman and renamed to have the same name as a club with previous history. In May 2008, this was partially resolved when governing body FIFA stepped in to prevent clubs purchasing licenses to play in a higher league.[2] In 2024, Thabo Nthethe called for stricter measures to regulate buying of clubs, reflecting on the demise of one of the country's best-supported clubs, Bloemfontein Celtic, after the new owner sold the Premiership franchise two years after purchasing the club.[3]
In 2002, the league organisers opted to purchase two clubs; Free State Stars (Qwa-Qwa) and Ria Stars (Polokwane) and dissolve them to reduce fixture congestion. Each club was purchased for R8million.[4] Free State Stars were originally known as Qwa Qwa Stars. Another club known as Free State Stars F.C. has been established since. The owner of the original Free State Stars purchased a club in the lower divisions Maholosiane and renamed it to Free State Stars.
The club Dynamos sold their PSL license to AmaZulu who were formerly known as Zulu Royals in 2006. A new team known as Dyanmos F.C. was established in the wake of the sale in a lower division.
Wits University renamed their Premier Soccer League team to Bidvest Wits in time for the 2006–07 season. Bidvest, a major services, distribution and trading company sponsored the club for several seasons before purchasing naming rights to the club.
| Original club | New club | Date changed | Reason for change | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Khakhu Fast XI | Mapate Silver Stars | 1998 | ||
| Cape Town Spurs & Seven Stars | Ajax Cape Town | 1999 | Result of merger after Ajax Amsterdam buy out | |
| Qwa-Qwa Stars | Free State Stars | 1999 | ||
| HP Silver Stars | Silver Stars | 200x | Name was shortened, when the Highlands Park junior team stopped as a nursery team for the club. | |
| Mapate Silver Stars | HP Silver Stars | 2000 | Larry Brookstone, the owner of Highlands Park, bought the majority of shares. Despite the new ownership, the club continued to play at Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane.[5] | |
| Amazulu | Zulu Royals | 2003 | ||
| Basotho Tigers | North West Tigers | 2004 | ||
| University of Port Elizabeth-FCK (UPE-FCK) & Port Elizabeth Technikon | Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University-FCK (NMMU-FCK) | 2004 | Merger between universities. | |
| Hellenic | Benoni Premier United | 2005 | ||
| Wits University | Bidvest Wits | 2006 | ||
| Pietersburg Pillars | City Pillars | 2005 | ||
| Uthukela | Nathi Lions | 2005 | ||
| Tembisa Classic | Maritzburg United | 2005 | ||
| Manning Rangers | Fidentia Rangers | 2006 | ||
| Mabopane Young Masters | 2006 | |||
| PJ Stars | M Tigers | 2007 | ||
| Platinum Stars | May 2007 | Royal Bafokeng Nation (RBN) entered as the club's sponsor in 2006 and relocated the team to play at Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Phokeng. Club name also changed, when RBN bought 51% of the shares in May 2007. | ||
| FC Cape Town | 2007 | |||
| Benoni Premier United | Thanda Royal Zulu | 10 October 2007 | ||
| City Pillars | Mpumalanga Black Aces | 2007 | ||
| Fidentia Rangers | Ikapa Sporting | 2008 | ||
| Mbekweni Cosmos | Chippa United | 2010 | New owner's nickname was 'Chippa'. | |
| Bay United | Polokwane City | 2012 | Club moved from Port Elizabeth to Polokwane.[6] | |
| FC Palmeros | Casric F.C. | 2017 | FC Palmeros were renamed Casric F.C. prior to the start of the 2017–18 SAFA Second Division[7] | |
| Ajax Cape Town | Cape Town Spurs | 2020 | Ajax Amsterdam ended their association with the club, and it was renamed Cape Town Spurs[8] | |
| Highlands Park | TS Galaxy | 2020 | TS Galaxy purchased the Premiership status of Highlands Park[9] | |
| Bidvest Wits | Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila | 2020 | Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila purchased the Premiership status of 2016–17 Premiership winners Bidvest Wits[10] | |
| Bloemfontein Celtic | Royal AM | 2021 | Royal AM purchased the Premiership status from Bloemfontein Celtic[11] | |
| Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila | Marumo Gallants | 2021 | Marumo Gallants purchased the Premiership status from Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila[12] | |
| Free State Stars | Casric Stars | 2022 | Free State Stars were sold and renamed Casric Stars prior to the start of the 2022–23 National First Division[13] | |
| Uthongathi | Milford F.C. | 2022 | Uthongathi's National First Division license was purchased by Milford F.C..[14] | |
| All Stars | Black Leopards | 2022 | Relegated NFD club Black Leopards purchased the status of All Stars to continue to play in the division.[15] | |
| Moroka Swallows | Marumo Gallants | 2024 | Marumo Gallants purchased the Premiership status from Moroka Swallows[16] | |
| Marumo Gallants | Leruma United | 2024 | Leruma United purchased the National First Division status of Marumo Gallants[17] | |
| Maritzburg United | Durban City | 2024 | Club moved from Pietermaritzburg to Durban.[18] | |
| Original club | New club | Date changed | Reason for change |