Eswatini referees lowest paid in SADC

MBABANE – Eswatini’s Premier League ranks among SADC’s top five leagues in prize money, yet its referees remain the lowest paid in the region.

Despite growing corporate support and competitive stability, referees in Eswatini earn around E400 per game, far below their Southern African Development Community (SADC) regional counterparts.

While South African officials pocket E6 000 per match, Zimbabwe and Zambia pay E2 600, followed by Mozambique at E2 344, Botswana at E1 500 and Lesotho at E1 000. Although clubs contribute roughly E40 000 each, annually to cover officiating costs, these funds result in modest individual earnings once distributed across the season’s technical teams.

Payments are largely funded by the clubs rather than a centralised league budget, and referees are not on full-time contracts, leaving officiating largely semi-professional. This contrasts sharply with other SADC nations, where officials benefit from higher match fees, central league funding, retainers, fitness allowances and performance bonuses.

In the competitive SADC landscape, Eswatini’s Premier League, sponsored by MTN Eswatini, comfortably occupies fifth position among its peers in terms of championship prize money.

The league offers a first prize of approximately E1.1 million, South Africa’s Betway Premiership is at E20 million, Botswana’s FNB Premiership at E1.8 million, Zimbabwe at E1.7 million and Namibia at E1.15 million.

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