PSL wages laid bare as players challenge inflated salary perceptions

Former midfielder Michael Morton’s account of earning a maximum of R80,000 a month during a 17-year career has highlighted the gap between public assumptions and the reality of player salaries in the PSL.

Morton, who played for clubs including Orlando Pirates, SuperSport United and AmaZulu, recently discussed his earnings at different stages of his career. He said he earned R20,000 a month as a young player with the Buccaneers before reaching a peak monthly salary of R80,000 after joining Usuthu.

“Hearing Morton say that opened my eyes: R80,000 compared to what the notion is out there about what footballers earn according to people outside of football,” said Delmain Faver.

Faver was speaking during the 10th episode of the CarWash, a podcast he hosts with Teko Modise, Linda Mntambo and Brighton Mhlongo. The latest episode also featured former Maritzburg United, Bloemfontein Celtic and Sekhukhune United midfielder Given Mashikinya, with the panel examining how much players actually earn.

Young players urged to avoid salary comparisons

Morton said his average monthly income as a footballer was R30,000, prompting a wider discussion about the expectations placed on professionals in domestic football.

Mhlongo argued that most players would not become superstars and that comparisons based on income or possessions were less important than competing on the pitch.

Modise was also critical of the attention given to wages, warning that it could “muddy the waters” for young players hoping to establish themselves in South African football.

“For young stars, that’s bad because now we are going to start comparing salaries. How many players are earning; how many players have come to big teams with a high profile and never did anything and still left with that money?”

Both Mhlongo and Modise encouraged emerging players to concentrate on their own progress rather than measure themselves against the careers or earnings of others.

Mashikinya agreed with parts of that view and connected the financial success of former footballers with their involvement in Bafana Bafana and the PSL top three teams.

Mhlongo said many players at smaller domestic clubs could earn a modest salary, but not necessarily enough to transform their lives.

Panel challenges claims about big-money deals

The discussion also addressed widespread claims about the fortunes supposedly earned by players such as ‘Figo’ Mntambo and Keagan Dolly.

Dolly has previously rejected reports that he earned millions of rands every month while at Kaizer Chiefs, describing those figures as “not even close” to the truth.

“People at home must understand that those are ridiculous amounts. Like when you go on Google, and you look at the value and how much [Dolly] earns, those figures are not true,” Faver said.

He described football wages as something of a taboo subject, but insisted that local players earning anything close to European salaries was simply inaccurate.

Morton’s figures have therefore provided a rare insight into a subject often shaped more by speculation than confirmed information, exposing the considerable difference between fan perceptions and actual PSL earnings.