South Africa's most-supported club has finally entered the women's game. Kaizer Chiefs officially announced the formation of Kaizer Chiefs Ladies on Tuesday, acquiring Gauteng Sasol League status from Springs Home Sweepers after negotiations that started as far back as 2023.
This wasn't a surprise. The deal with Sweepers — owned by former Chiefs player Joseph Mkhonza — had been building for two years before a formal partnership launched in 2025. Tuesday's announcement simply confirmed what the football community had been expecting: that Amakhosi were serious about this, and they were doing it properly.
The squad and the setup
Unathi Mabena takes charge of a 24-player squad that includes former Banyana Banyana midfielder Mamello Makhabane — a credible headline name — alongside junior internationals Zanele Kunyamane and Katlego Mohale. They'll start in the second-tier Sasol League, which is the right call. Parachuting into the top flight without infrastructure or cohesion is how projects collapse. Building from the second tier with a recognisable brand and decent squad depth is how you actually grow something.
Home games will be split between Kaizer Chiefs Village and Springs' KwaThema Stadium — a nod to the community roots of the Sweepers deal, and a practical solution while the project finds its footing.
Corporate backing is already in place. Brima Logistics have committed to the project, which matters enormously. Women's football in South Africa is growing, but underfunded clubs don't survive long enough to compete. Chiefs have de-risked that problem from day one.
What this means for the women's game
Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies have dominated South African women's football with a level of control that borders on suffocating. Nobody has been able to mount a sustained challenge. The question was always whether a club with the resources and fanbase to compete would step up.
Chiefs chairman Dr Kaizer Motaung framed it in generational terms: "You must consider the generations that will follow and the responsibility that comes with that." That's fine language, but what actually shifts the competitive picture is money, recruitment, and patience. Two of those three are already visible.
Marketing director Jessica Motaung was more direct: "We want female soccer players to see this team and understand that there is a place for them within Kaizer Chiefs and within the global game." With Banyana Banyana's profile rising and the women's game drawing real commercial interest globally, the timing isn't accidental.
They're starting in the second tier, but this is a club with 16 million supporters. The Sasol League promotion race just got a lot more interesting.
