Cricket South Africa, in a five-year effort to reform the domestic model, announced a 15-team structure that will be split into two divisions with eight teams in Division 1 and seven teams in Division 2. 

The process commenced in 2016, when it became apparent to CSA that it needed to review South African domestic cricket to remain a “powerhouse in cricket.”

Specific areas such as player opportunities, retention, and financial sustainability were assessed. In December 2019, former CEO of the International Cricket Council, David Richardson, was then brought in as an independent consultant. The recommendations presented by Mr. Richardson were based on a process that was approved by and involved all the affiliates. 

The two-division structure, comprising 15 teams, will be based on a performance-based promotion and relegation system. The 15 teams were selected through a bidding process, and their positions in the two divisions were based on seven key dimensions such as cricket services, stadium infrastructure,  governance, financial status, support from stakeholders, plans for commercialization, and transformation.

Richardson explains: “The beauty of the current structure is that it simplifies the game. Here we are providing opportunities across all provinces. The structure provides opportunities for all players to develop.”

However, Richardson continues: “There is no room for complacency. Teams coming up will have a huge challenge playing Division 1. When you get demoted, you can lose sponsors and financial support.” 

While there are concerns that the economic climate in some of the provinces represented by teams in Division 2 may make it challenging to secure sponsorships, acting President of CSA, Rihan Richards, said: “The sponsor market is depressed, but the potential for sponsorship exists. It depends on how we commercialize the process.” 

With the Proteas men’s team generating 80 percent of CSA’s revenue, CSA’s acting CEO, Pholetsi Mosetki, said the domestic restructure is important to ensure that South Africa can keep supplying players to the national team. 

Division 1

Boland
Eastern Province
Gauteng
Free State
North West
Western Province
KZN Coastal
Northerns

Division 2:

Border
Easterns
South Western Districs,
KZN Inland
Mpumalanga
Limpopo
Northern Cape