Graeme Smith’s and Stephen Cook’s team, along with the IPL franchise owners and sponsors such as Betway who have invested in South African cricket, deserve immense praise for improving the standard of the game in this country. It is estimated that the tournament has contributed approximately R1.4 billion to South Africa’s GDP and created a further 8,500 jobs as a direct result of the competition.

Prior to the first edition of the tournament in 2023, many South Africans had lost interest in cricket and were reluctant to attend matches due to Cricket South Africa predominantly receiving negative publicity. There were several instances where stadiums for international fixtures were half full. When I would speak to friends or family who seldom watched cricket, most of them would say that aside from players like Bavuma, Elgar or Rabada, they barely knew anyone in the national side.

Cut to three years later, and stadiums for domestic matches are almost sold out for every game, making it difficult to spot gaps in the vast seas of blue, yellow, orange or pink shirts. As a result of the SA20, many of these casual fans not only recognise every single Proteas player, but also domestic players who may not yet have been selected for the national side.

Although the Indian national team won the ICC T20 World Cup in 2007, I believe that the first edition of the IPL in 2008 drastically improved the overall quality of India’s white-ball cricket. Young Indian cricketers were exposed to highly experienced international players from an early age. Virat Kohli has frequently mentioned how he learnt a great deal from experienced cricketers like Mark Boucher and Jacques Kallis, who were overseas professionals at the time. There is no doubt in my mind that our young cricketers will develop at a much quicker rate as a result of engaging with experienced international players at their respective franchises.

Since the inception of the SA20, the Proteas men’s side has gone from strength to strength. We made our first T20 World Cup final in 2024, where we were unluckily beaten by India, and more recently shed our “chokers” tag by beating Australia in the World Test Championship Final. In 2022/23, we lost 2–0 in Australia to practically the same side.

The SA20 Schools tournament has also provided young South African cricketers with the opportunity to play highly competitive cricket and potentially be picked up by an SA20 franchise. In the 2026 edition of the tournament, the rules clearly stipulate that each franchise must sign at least two players under the age of 23. A notable example of a young cricketer coming through this system is 19-year-old Nqobani Mokoena from Northwood, who currently has the best economy rate in the death overs across the entire tournament. There is no doubt in my mind that a direct benefit of the SA20 and Schools SA20 is the accelerated rate of youth development in South African cricket.

Aside from giving young players a chance, the SA20 and corporate sponsors such as Betway, along with other partners, have ensured fan loyalty by consistently prioritising fan engagement. This has been evident through regular social media activity prior to matches and excellent in-stadium engagement from announcers. It has been extremely refreshing to see the number of young children attending matches and developing a deep-rooted passion for the sport.

Fans on the ground have also highlighted their enjoyment of the SA20 experience. One fan said, “The SA20 has been one of the most enjoyable experiences I have had in a while. It definitely brings a lot of youth in. It is a good platform for them to start and show what they are made of. It has been such a great event. Everything about it has been fundamentally great.”

Another fan echoed similar sentiments, saying, “I would definitely come back and watch another SA20 game. It has been lekker vibes the whole time. The games have been full of action and there has never been a dull moment. I have thoroughly enjoyed my experiences thus far.”

I personally feel that the SA20 has been single-handedly responsible not only for reviving cricket in South Africa, but also for ensuring that the standard of cricket continues to improve at an incredible rate.