SAFA Second Division

ABC Motsepe League

Country	South Africa
Confederation	South African Football Association
Founded	1998
Divisions	9
Number of teams	144
Promotion to	National First Division
Relegation to	U21 SAB Regional League
Domestic cup(s)	Nedbank Cup
Most championships	Roses United
Website	Official Site
2015–16 SAFA Second Division

The SAFA Second Division, currently known as ABC Motsepe League for sponsorship reasons, and previously known as the Vodacom League between 1998-2012, was founded in 1998 as the current Second Division and the overall third tier of South African football. The competition is regulated by SAFA, and until 2012 had been sponsored by mobile telecommunications company Vodacom.

Currently it features 144 teams in total, divided into 9 divisions, borderly decided by the 9 geo-political provinces of South Africa: Eastern Cape, Free State, KwaZulu Natal, Northern Cape, Western Cape, Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and North West. This means, that each Provincial division contains 16 teams as standard. The winner of each Provincial division qualifies for the annual Promotional Play-offs, where the winners of two streams, will get promoted to the National First Division. In each Province, the two lowest ranked teams by the end of the season, will be relegated to U21 SAB Regional League, which in return will promote two play-off winners from the Regional Championships.

An important rule to note, is that all clubs in South Africa also are allowed to compete with youth teams (U19/U21) and/or a Reserve team in a lower SAFA league. If a club opt to field such teams, the U19 teams will start out at the fifth level in the U19 National League, while U21 teams or Reserve teams will start out at the fourth level in the U21 SAB Regional League. If any U19 team win promotion for U21 SAB Regional League or SAFA Second Division, this promotion is fully accepted. No club are however entitled to field two teams at the same level, and rule 4.6.4 of the SAFA regulations states, that if the mother club play in the National First Division or Premier Soccer League, then the highest level these additional Youth/Reserve teams are allowed to compete, will be the SAFA Second Division. In such cases, where a non-promotable team manage to win their regional division, the ticket for the promotional playoffs will instead be handed over to the second best team in the division.^[1]

In the 2010–11 season these promotional restrictions mean, that: Ajax Cape Town U19, Bay Academy, Bid Boys, Celtic Colts, SuperSport T.H. Academy and Mitchells Plain United, were all accepted to play in the league, but without any possibility of further promotion.

In March 2014, the Motsepe Foundation signed a five-year deal for the naming rights of the competition worth 40,000,000 ZAR. Patrice Motsepe named the competition in honour of his late father, Augustine Butana Chaane Motsepe.^[2]

Provincial divisions

The 9 geographical provinces of South Africa, each have a local division in the SAFA Second Division. These divisions belong either to the Inland Stream or Coastal Stream, which are used to place the provincial winners into two round robin groups, at the promotional play-off stage by the end of the season. The Coastal Stream comprises: Eastern Cape, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, Northern Cape, Western Cape; while the Inland Stream comprises: Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and North-West. In previous years, until August 2008, the Free State province belonged to the Inland Stream.

Map of the two streams in the SAFA Second Division.

Inland Stream

Coastal Stream

Provincial winners

Coastal Stream

Eastern Cape Season Winner Runner-Up 1998–99 1999–00 Blackburn Rovers 2000–01 PE Technikon PE Tigers 2001–02 Blackburn Rovers PE Tigers 2002–03 UPE-FCK Blackburn Rovers 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 Lion City 2007–08 Bush Bucks F.C. Matat Professionals F.C. 2008–09 Blackburn Rovers 2009–10 Blackburn Rovers Tornado 2010–11 Buffalo Tornado 2011–12 Tornado F.C. 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 Tornado Lion City FC Kwazulu Natal Season Winner Runner-Up 1998–99 1999–00 2000–01 Nathi Stars Leeds United 2001–02 Moja United Greenpoint Vultures 2002–03 Nathi Stars Italian Juventus 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 Abaqulusi 2007–08 Island Rangers 2008–09 Newcastle Sicilians 2009–10 Island African Wanderers 2010–11 Durban Stars Sobantu Shooting Stars 2011–12 Maritzburg City F.C. 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 Maluti FET College 2015–16 Kings United FC Uthongathi FC

Northern Cape Season Winner Runner-Up 1998–99 1999–00 Glenville 2000–01 William Prescod Louisvale Pirates 2001–02 Young Pirates Louisvale Pirates 2002–03 Dalton Brothers Olympics 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 Kakamas Cosmos 2007–08 William Pescod F.C. Louisvale Pirates F.C. 2008–09 Real Madrid 2009–10 Kakamas Sundowns Wings United 2010–11 Real Madrid Steach United 2011–12 Morester Jeug 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 Morester Jeug Colville United Western Cape Season Winner Runner-Up 1998–99 1999–00 2000–01 Vasco da Gama Juventus 2001–02 Juventus Rygersdal Aces 2002–03 Vasco da Gama Clyde Pinelands 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 Hanover Park 2007–08 Soweto Panthers F.C. 2008–09 Steenberg United 2009–10 Mitchells Plain United Milano United F.C. 2010–11 Chippa United Milano United F.C. 2011–12 Milano United F.C. 2012-13 Cape Town All Stars 2013-14 Cape Town All Stars 2014-15 Glendene United 2015–16 Steenberg United FC Glendene United FC

Coastal Stream / Inland Stream

Free State belonged to the Inland Stream in 1998-2008,
but was transferred to the Coastal Stream for subsequent seasons.

Free State

Season	Winner	Runner-Up
1998–99
1999–00
2000–01	Welkom Stars	Maholosiane
2001–02	Maholosiane	Roses United
2002–03	Roses United	Dikoena
2003–04
2004–05
2005–06
2006–07	African Warriors
2007–08	Carara Kicks F.C.	Mafube United F.C.
2008–09	United
2009–10	Roses United	Maluti Fet College
2010–11	Roses United	Botshabelo
2011–12	Roses United
2012-13	Maluti FET College
2013–14	Sibanye Golden Stars
2014–15	Roses United
2015–16	Manco Milano

Inland Stream

Gauteng Season Winner Runner-Up 1998–99 1999–00 2000–01 Mamelodi Juventus Mandel Kings 2001–02 Ennerdale Arcadia BK Callies 2002–03 Arcadia Shepherds Luso Africa 2003–04 2004–05 P.J Stars 2005–06 Yebo Yes United 2006–07 Yebo Yes United 2007–08 M Tigers 2008–09 Lusitano 2009–10 FC AK M Tigers 2010–11 Highlands Park Blackpool 2011–12 The Vardos F.C. 2012–13 The Vardos FC 2013–14 Highlands Park 2014–15 African All Stars 2015–16 JDR Stars FC Limpopo Season Winner Runner-Up 1998–99 1999–00 2000–01 Sisterpark Winnerspark 2001–02 Winnerspark Gesane Arsenal 2002–03 Winnerspark Gesane Arsenal 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 Mokopane 2007–08 Classic F.C. The Dolphins F.C. 2008–09 Peace Lovers 2009–10 Peace Lovers Limpopom United 2010–11 Baroka F.C. Winners Park 2011–12 Baroka F.C. 2012–13 Baroka F.C. 2013–14 Magezi F.C. 2014-15 Magezi F.C 2015–16 Magezi FC The Dolphins

Mpumalanga Season Winner Runner-Up 1998–99 1999–00 2000–01 Green Nation Ferrometals 2001–02 People's Bank Spurs Sporting 2002–03 Sporting Home Defenders 2003–04 2004–05 Witbank Spurs 2005–06 2006–07 MP Black Aces 2007–08 Barberton City Stars F.C. Batau Killers F.C. 2008–09 Batau 2009–10 Mologadi Barberton City Stars 2010–11 Sivutsa Stars Mighty Mega Force 2011–12 Batau F.C. 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 Appolo XI FC Acornbush United FC North west Season Winner Runner-Up 1998–99 1999–00 2000–01 Mafikeng City Western Aces 2001–02 Leicester City Western Aces 2002–03 Kanana Stars Anderlecht 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 Ga-Rankuwa United 2006–07 Madibogopan Blizzards 2007–08 City of Matlosane F.C. Mothupi Birds F.C. 2008–09 RNB 54 2009–10 Ga-Rankuwa United City of Matlosana United 2010–11 Ga-Rankuwa United North West Shining Stars 2011–12 Soshanguve Sunshine 2012–13 2013–14 North West Shining Stars 2014–15 North West Shining Stars 2015–16 Orbit College FC

Promoted teams

In the seasons from 1998–2003, the four best teams from the Vodacom League -determined by annual playoffs among the winners and runners-up of the 9 provinces in South Africa- won promotion for the National First Division. The playoff system divided the teams into an Inland stream and Coastal Stream, where the best two teams from each stream won promotion.

In the seasons after 2003, the number of annually promoted teams decreased to 2. The concept of the playoff system however remained the same, in regards of dividing the teams into a Coastal Stream and Inland Stream, but now of course only to reward the winner of both streams with promotion. Both promoted teams will then finally also meet to play the overall final, where the overall league championship trophy is at stake.

The list below show all the promoted teams, since 1998.

Promoted Teams
Season	Inland Stream	Coastal Stream
1998–99	Arcadia Shepherds Mapate Silver Stars	Premier United Blackburn Rovers
1999–00	Ledwaba Power Stars Alexandra United	Maritzburg City Basotho Tigers
2000–01	Welkom Stars Mamelodi Juventus	William Prescod PE Technikon
2001–02	Maholosiane Peoples Bank Spurs	Moja United Juventus (Western Cape)
2002–03	Winners Park FC Sporting	Vasco da Gama Blackburn Rovers
Promoted Teams
Season	Winner	Runner-up
2003–04	Pretoria University	Louisvale Pirates
2004–05	Witbank Spurs	PJ Stars Kings
2005–06	OR Tambo DC	Garankuwa United
2006–07	African Warriors	Hanover Park
2007–08	Vasco da Gama	Carara Kicks
2008–09	United	Batau
2009–10	FC AK	Blackburn Rovers
2010–11	Chippa United	Sivutsa Stars
2011–12	Roses United F.C.	Milano United F.C.
2012–13	Baroka FC	Maluti FET College
2013–14	Cape Town All Stars	Highlands Park
2014–15	Mbombela United	Mthatha Bucks
2015–16	Kings United	Magezi F.C

Previous logos

• 
  Used until April 2011
• 
  Used between April 2011 and April 2012

References

1. SAFA. "Rules and Regulations" (PDF). Retrieved 7 July 2011.
2. "Motsepe Foundation sponsor Second Division". SuperSport. 3 March 2014. Retrieved 3 March 2014.

External links

• South Africa Football Association: Database with logs and results