JOHANNESBURG - The South African Football Association (Safa) on Tuesday announced a five-year partnership with OUTsurance as part of their referees programme.
It’s a milestone announcement that will look to improve the standard of match officiating in the Premier Soccer League as well as the amateur ranks. Safa vice president Ria Ledwaba said the collaboration will also look to fast track the involvement of more female referees. Currently, Akhona Makalima remains the only female referee in the PSL.
“This will help us accelerate the development of young referees. This will help us expedite the number of female referees. We need more female referees, this partnership will take us there,” Ledwaba, who was herself voted the first woman deputy president of Safa in June, said.
The referees will don their Outsurance kit starting this weekend in the round of Absa Premiership matches. Through this partnership, Ledwaba said, Safa could quite possibly have more match officials involved in football at the highest level such as CAF and Fifa major tournaments. Only assistant referee Zakhele Siwela was a South African representative at this year’s World Cup in Russia.
The partnership between OUTsurance and Safa is worth R50-million over the next five years.
Official SAFA referees parade the newly branded @OUTsurance kit which they will be donning as of this weekend. #OUTsurancerefs @OfficialPSL pic.twitter.com/oSzszrsNRQ
— SAFA.net (@SAFA_net) September 11, 2018
Head of Brand and social engagement, Hazel Chimhandamba, explaining why OUTsurance decide to partner
with SAFA in the first place. pic.twitter.com/mU0hNgiZht
— SAFA.net (@SAFA_net) September 11, 2018
Official SAFA referees parade the newly branded @OUTsurance kit which they will be donning as of this weekend. #OUTsurancerefs @OfficialPSL pic.twitter.com/oSzszrsNRQ
— SAFA.net (@SAFA_net) September 11, 2018
Akhona Makalima’s wish for female referees in the country. @OUTsurance #Outsurancerefs pic.twitter.com/8XlXomqYxc
— SAFA.net (@SAFA_net) September 11, 2018
@superjourno