FC Kayamandi are preparing to compete in the ABC Motsepe League for the first time after securing a historic promotion. This comes amid an ongoing unresolved payment dispute with the Beaufort West Local Football Association (BWLFA).
The FC Kayamandi team. Head coach Bongani Ronnie Tsololo credits their promotion to the ABC Motsepe League to the squad’s resilience, discipline and character. PHOTO: Supplied/Conray Swail
The Kayamandi-based club, affectionately known as the “Net Boys”, beat Harambee FC 2-1 on 5 July 2026, which promoted them to the new league. This is the first time a Kayamandi-based team has reached this level, the third tier directly managed by the South African Football Association (SAFA).
However, the club’s preparations for the season have been complicated by a R60 000 unresolved payment dispute between FC Kayamandi and the BWLFA.
According to club manager, Dizo Ntibane, FC Kayamandi finished runner-up of the 2025 Easter Tournament hosted by BWLFA. The prize money was R70 000, of which only R10 000 has been paid to date.
Ntibane said the club has emailed BWLFA representatives multiple times since May 2025 without response, and has since written to the new BWLFA president, Granwill Pienaar, proposing that FC Kayamandi receive a percentage of gate fees from upcoming Beaufort West fixtures to offset the shortfall. The club is still awaiting a formal reply.
Pienaar told SMF News the BWLFA’s public response reflected the association’s position. In this response, which was posted on Facebook, he noted that he had engaged with FC Kayamandi personally before taking office and that the matter should now go through official structures, adding that the BWLFA intended to resolve the dispute “responsibly and transparently.”
Pienaar added that the current executive has decided not to respond further via social media on this matter and will engage FC Kayamandi directly instead.
Ntibane said the outstanding payment would have covered preseason, medical and transportation costs for the first two months of the ABC Motsepe season.
“Right now we are preparing with what we have, but it puts pressure on the club,” he said. “We just need it resolved so we can plan properly.”
FC Kayamandi player, Asavela “Mshoza” Ntsekelo, at the club’s first game of the SAFA Western Cape Provincial Men’s Third Division League Playoffs, held over the weekend of 4 to 5 July, 2026. PHOTO: Supplied/Conray Swail.
According to Ntibane, the biggest challenge the club faces going forward is securing a SAFA compliant home venue, which requires appropriate fencing, ablutions and medical rooms. He said the club is in talks with Kayamandi Sports Council and the Stellenbosch Municipality to secure Kayamandi Stadium and meet all the compliance requirements.
“Off the field we are putting structures in place,” he said.
Ntibane said the step up also brings a new level of professionalism on and off the field.
“We are bringing in experienced ABC players while keeping our core,” he said, adding that keeping developments strong across the club’s U13, U15 and second team remains central to its long-term plans.
Head coach Bongani Ronnie Tsololo said the promotion demands more consistency and preparation from his squad.
“The level of competition will certainly be much tougher, and we know that strengthening the squad […] will be essential,” he said.
“With the continued support of the club’s management, supporters, sponsors and the Kayamandi community, I believe FC Kayamandi has what it takes to compete successfully and establish itself in the ABC Motsepe League,” Tsololo said.
The FC Kayamandi team celebrate a 2-1 victory over Harambee FC on 5 July, with management and supporters. The victory secured them a promotion to the ABC Motsepe League. PHOTO: Supplied/Conray Swail.
The promotion has been celebrated across Kayamandi and the wider Stellenbosch region.
“The reaction has been massive,” said Ntibane. “Parents, businesses, Cape Winelands region, everyone. They see it as their team.”
Stellenbosch LFA president Waldo Christians said the club’s promotion reflects well on football development in the region. “For us as an LFA, it will be the first time that we have two teams competing at the same time in the ABC Motsepe League,” he said, adding that it is an indicator that their clubs are on the rise.
For Tsololo, the achievement belongs to the community as much as the team. “This victory is for Kayamandi,” he said. “[It] has inspired hope for Kayamandi young footballers.”