List of South African football club name changes
South African Football clubs regularly changed their names. Former Premier Soccer League (PSL) Chief Executive Trevor Phillips complained that regular name changes and license buy outs was turning the PSL into a "mumbo-jumbo" league.[1] Clubs in the top-tier were sometimes bought by businessman and renamed to have the same name as a club with previous history. In May 2008, this was partially resolved when governing body FIFA stepped in to prevent clubs purchasing licenses to play in a higher league.[2]
In 2002, the league organisers opted to purchase two clubs; Free State Stars (Qwa-Qwa) and Ria Stars (Polokwane) and dissolve them to reduce fixture congestion. Each club was purchased for R8million.[3] Free State Stars were originally known as Qwa Qwa Stars. Another club known as Free State Stars F.C. has been established since. The owner of the original Free State Stars purchased a club in the lower divisions Maholosiane and renamed it to Free State Stars.
The club Dynamos sold their PSL license to AmaZulu who were formerly known as Zulu Royals in 2006. A new team known as Dyanmos F.C. was established in the wake of the sale in a lower division.
Tembisa Classic sold their PSL license to Maritzburg United
Wits University renamed their Premier Soccer League team to Bidvest Wits in time for the 2006/07 season. Bidvest, a major services, distribution and trading company sponsored the club for several seasons before purchasing naming rights to the club.
| Original Club Name | New Club Name | Date Changed | Reason for change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Khakhu Fast XI | Mapate Silver Stars | 1998 | |
| Mapate Silver Stars | HP Silver Stars | 2000 | Larry Brookstone, the owner of Highlands Park, bought the majority of shares. Despite the new ownership, the club continued to play at Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane.[4] |
| HP Silver Stars | Silver Stars | 200x | Name was shortened, when the Highlands Park junior team stopped as a nursery team for the club. |
| Silver Stars | Platinum Stars | May 2007 | Royal Bafokeng Nation (RBN) entered as the clubs sponsor in 2006 and relocated the team to play at Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Phokeng. Club name also changed, when RBN bought 51% of the shares in May 2007.[4] |
| Cape Town Spurs & Seven Stars | Ajax Cape Town | 1999 | Result of Merger after Ajax Amsterdam buy out |
| University of Port Elizabeth-FCK (UPE-FCK) & Port Elizabeth Technikon | Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University-FCK (NMMU-FCK) | 2004 | Merger between universities. |
| Wits University | Bidvest Wits | 2006 | |
| Qwa-Qwa Stars | Free State Stars | 1999 | |
| Amazulu | Zulu Royals | 2003 | |
| Basotho Tigers | North West Tigers | 2004 | |
| PJ Stars | M Tigers | 2007 | |
| Hellenic | Benoni Premier United | 2005 | |
| Petersburg Pillars | City Pillars | 2005 | |
| Uthukela | Nathi Lions | 2005 | |
| Tembisa Classic | Maritzburg United | 2005 | |
| Manning Rangers | Fidentia Rangers | 2006 | |
| Mabopane Young Masters | FC AK | 2006 | |
| Vasco da Gama | FC Cape Town | 2007 | |
| Benoni Premier United | Thanda Royal Zulu | 10 October 2007 | |
| City Pillars | Mpumalanga Black Aces | 2007 | |
| Fidentia Rangers | Ikapa Sporting | 2008 | |
| Bay United | Polokwane City F.C. | 2012 |
