Premier Soccer League match officials have recently received a financial boost, and the media asked the league for the exact figures.
The public has often held the perception that referees in South Africa’s elite division are underpaid, which contributes to their non-performance or lack of consistency.
But this couldn’t be further from the truth! Of course a match official would have to regularly be assigned games and make the cut to be on the panel of referees for the season to make a fair amount from the job.
The league has confirmed that it pays a referee R6100 per match, the assistants R4700 and a guaranteed monthly stipend of R4900.
If a referee is assigned to just four games a month (although the likelihood is that there would be more), they can take home R24 400. The PSL also covers their travel costs as well as lodging.
The rules of engagement are different if you are a match official in the lower leagues, however.
The fees in the ABC Motsepe League and SAB League are covered by the South African Football Association.
That is where the R50-million partnership between SAFA and OUTsurance, for over a period of five seasons, is being distributed.
To date, SAFA do not foot the bill for match officials assigned to PSL matches during the course of the season.
