The2024–25 SAFA Second Division (known as the ABC Motsepe League for sponsorship reasons)[1] was the 27th season of theSAFA Second Division, the third tier for South African association football clubs, since its establishment in 1998. Due to the size of South Africa, the competition was split into nine divisions, one for each region. After the league stage of the regional competition was completed, the nine winning teams of each regional division were due to enter the playoffs.[2]
FC Ravens won the final and were due to play in the national playoffs. However, due to ongoing legal cases challenging the outcome, SAFA went ahead without an Eastern Cape representative.[6]
Highlands Park finished top of the log. However, in May 2025 they were deducted three points for fielding Nigerian player Chigamezu Franklin Ogbonna, who used fraudulent study and work visas in South Africa while playing for the club.[9] In June 2025, SAFA ruled that the club were to be docked points for each game that Ogbonna played, leading to a 62 point deduction. Highlands Park therefore finished bottom of the log, and were relegated to theSAFA Ekurhuleni Regional League.[10]
In March 2025, players from Musina United refused to continue the game after conceding a goal against Vondwe XI Bullets they believed to be offside.[12]
The games between Vondiwe XI Bullets and Mpheni Home Defenders proved controversial. The first game between the two was abandoned after four minutes, after Bullets were awarded a penalty. The replay was also abandoned, in the 78th minute, with Defenders leading 1-0, after a Bullets goal was disallowed for offside. In June 2025, with both teams join top of the table on 45 points, and with only their result outstanding, the arbitrator overturned the previous decision to replay the game again, and ruled that Defenders be granted a 1-0 victory, thereby winning the league.[13]
The final took place despite Dolphin's Stream B rivals Sunrise's attempt to interdict the match. The court ordered an interdict an hour before the match was due to start. A sheriff arrived with court papers, but the teams went ahead with the match. The sheriff returned with police in an attempt to stop the match, but following negotiations between police and SAFA officials, the match went ahead.[14]
In November 2024, Appollo XI, then sitting in fourth place, pulled out of the league, citing poor officiating as the reason.[15]
In February 2025, SAFA expelled Mpumalanga Football Academy after they missed three consecutive games.[16]
Tiger Boys also pulled out, but then reversed their decision, claiming that 'their email was hacked'. They apologised to their players, supporters and stakeholders including sponsors.[17]
In March 2025, Witbank Citylads decided to suspend all football operations until the end of the season, citing 'disgraceful and malicious' officiating.[18]
A few days later, Sivutsa also did not honour their fixture.[19]
In the first final, Hanover Park defeated Zizwe United FC 4-2 on penalties, after a 1-1 draw.[21]
However, Zizwe won an arbitration case against SAFA, necessitating a replay of the match. Zizwe won the replay to qualify for the national playoffs.[3]
The playoffs commenced on 1 July 2025, in spite of outstanding cases affecting the representatives from Limpopo and the Eastern Cape.[22]
SAFA eventually reduced the playoffs to seven teams, excluding the teams from the affected provinces.[23]
They were further marred by controversy when matchday three was postponed due to lack of water, followed by a dispute over the representative from Group A. With both Zizwe andMidlands Wanderers finishing on one point, and one goal each, SAFA initially ruled that Zizwe would qualify due to a better disciplinary record.[24] Following a dispute and arbitration, the match between them was ordered to be replayed, with Midlands winning 4-0.
The following teams qualified for the playoffs from their respective provincial streams.[25]
