South Africa Introduces Equal Pay for Genders, Announces Equal Match Fees for Male and Female Cricketers

South Africa has taken a significant step towards gender equality in cricket by announcing equal pay for male and female cricketers, ensuring that both genders will receive the same match fees for international matches. This move aligns South Africa with countries like New Zealand and India, which have also embraced pay parity. The decision follows the ICC’s groundbreaking announcement earlier this year, establishing equal prize money for men’s and women’s teams in ICC events.

This stride towards equal pay comes in the wake of an impressive 18 months for South Africa’s national women’s cricket team. Their achievements include reaching the semi-finals of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup in New Zealand in 2022 and making it to the final of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup when hosting the tournament earlier this year. This historic accomplishment marked the first time a senior South African team had reached the final of a World Cup.

To amplify the momentum created by these achievements, key figures from the cricketing community in South Africa convened in Tshwane to announce pivotal changes. These changes encompass an updated structure for the domestic women’s competition and the introduction of equal pay for both male and female players in international cricket.

As part of the new structure, teams in South Africa’s domestic competition will now be allowed to contract up to 11 players, a notable increase from the previous limit of six. This expansion will also permit the addition of more full-time coaches and support staff to bolster the teams’ setups.

Pholetsi Moseki, CEO of Cricket South Africa, expressed the significance of these changes in the context of fostering the legacy established by hosting the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup. He announced the launch of the Professional Women’s Cricket League, which serves to celebrate the national women’s cricket team’s remarkable achievements and pave the way for a promising future.

Moseki emphasized the positive impact of professionalizing the women’s domestic cricket structure, aiming to provide a platform for local talent to shine, cultivate a culture of sporting excellence, and inspire the upcoming generation of players. The CEO underscored the role of this step in propelling local talent forward, creating an environment conducive to growth, resilience, and a deep passion for the sport.

Moseki encouraged brands to continue supporting women’s cricket and recognizing the league’s potential to reshape perceptions about women in sports within the country.

The equalization of match fees for South Africa’s women cricketers will come into effect next month as they embark on a six-match white-ball tour against Pakistan. The tour comprises three T20Is in Karachi from September 1 and three 50-over matches in the same city from September 8. This landmark decision to ensure equal pay for genders is not only a major stride towards gender parity in cricket but also a testament to the sport’s commitment to inclusivity and fairness.