Football has a large fan base and is considered the world’s most popular sport. In South Africa, the Premier Soccer League has several football clubs with supportive fans from different parts of the country.
There is a debate on which team has the largest supporters and fans in South Africa. A team’s fan base size depends on stadium attendance, social media following, and game wins.
We’ve analysed and listed the ten clubs with the most fans in South Africa according to the above factors.
1. Kaizer Chiefs
Kaizer Chiefs is the biggest team in the PSL and the most supported football club in South Africa and neighbouring countries.
It was founded in Johannesburg South in 1970 by Kaizer Motaung. They have a strong rivalry with Orlando Pirates as they are often the top teams in the league.
Their stadium, FNB, which is one of the best in South Africa, has a capacity of 94,000 seats. The club boasts over 50 trophies, including 12 league titles.
The football club has over 40 million fans called ‘Amakhosi,’ with 7 million followers on social media platforms. As such, they are the most supported football team in Sub-Saharan Africa.
2. Mamelodi Sundowns
Mamelodi Sundowns FC was founded in Mamelodi, Pretoria, in 1970. They are nicknamed the ‘Brazilians,’ mostly because their jersey resembles that of Brazil’s national team.
Their stadium, Loftus Versfeld, has a capacity of 51,762, and they have more than 2 million followers on social media.
The Sundowns are also known to be the richest club in South Africa, as business mogul Patrice Motsepe owns it. He is one of the richest men in South Africa and the president of the Confederation of African Football.
The football club has won the Premier Soccer League 11 times and the CAF Champions League in 2016, making it the second club to win from South Africa.
3. Orlando Pirates
Orlando Pirates is number three on the list of South African teams with the most fans. They also feature prominently on the list of African clubs with the largest fanbases.
It is also the second oldest club in South Africa, founded in 1937 in Orlando East in Soweto town, Gauteng.
The club’s stadium, Orlando Stadium, has a capacity of 37,139 seats and more than 4 million followers on social media.
They have also won 33 trophies, including nine league titles. The Pirates won the CAF Champions League in 1995, making them the first South African team to clinch the trophy.
They are also the only club in South African football history to win the domestic league in a row during the 2010/11 and 2011/12 seasons.
4. Cape Town Spurs
Also known as the Urban Warriors, Cape Town Spurs has its largest fan support from Cape Town.
The team was previously known as Ajax Cape Town and was initially a child club of AFC Ajax. It was founded in 1970 in Parow, Cape Town, nicknamed the Urban Warriors since its establishment.
Their stadium, Athlone Stadium, often has 30,000 people in attendance and has a capacity of 51,900.
Cape Town Spurs FC won 9 trophies, including one national soccer league in 1995 and MTN 8 in 2015.
Ajax CT gained full control of the club from their parent club Ajax FC in 2020 and changed their name to Cape Town Spurs.
5. Bidvest Wits
Bidvest Wits is from Johannesburg, South Africa. The football club was founded in 1921, making it the oldest football club in South Africa.
They are the 2015/16 PSL league winners after defeating Mamelodi Sundowns in the finals.
Their Bidvest stadium attendance averaged 15,000, and the club has a social media following of more than 300,000.
Furthermore, they have won 5 trophies, including one PSL Cup, Nedbank Cup, MTN 8, and Telkom Knockout Cup.
Bidvest was dissolved in 2020 at the end of the 2019/20 PSL league after selling it to Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila.
6. Platinum Stars
Platinum Stars FC was founded in 1998 in Phokeng, Rustenburg, by Joseph Mapfulagasha.
They are also known as ‘Dikwena,’ which means crocodile, or ‘Dinaledi,’ which means stars because of the club’s badge.
Their recognised win was the Telkom knockout in 2006, and they were runners-up in the CAF Champions League in the 2006/07 season.
Platinum’s stadium, Royal Bafokeng Stadium, has a capacity of 44,530. They also have more than 126,000 followers on social media pages.
Platinum Stars won 2 trophies in their soccer history. However, the club was disbanded in 2018, and its team rights were sold to Cape Umoya United in Cape Town.
7. Supersport United
Supersport United, also known as ‘Matsatsantsa,’ is one of the biggest South African football clubs founded in 1994.
It is fully owned by Supersport, a South African-based television channel that provides sports content to most African countries.
The club is based in Atteridgeville, Pretoria, where they play home matches.
Their stadium, Lucas Moripe Stadium, has an average capacity of 29,000, and the team has more than 530,000 followers on social media.
In addition, they have won 12 trophies, including three times Premier Soccer League cups, which has grown their fan base and reputation.
8. Bloemfontein Celtic
Bloemfontein Celtic was founded in 1969 in Bloemfontein, Free State Province. The club and its fans are nicknamed “Phunya Sele Sele” or “Siwelele” as those were its initial names.
It plays in the South African Premier Division League after Max Tshabalala regained its status and took over its ownership in 2014.
Their home stadium, Siwelele Park Ground, is known to have an attendance of 20,000. They also brag about a social media following of more than 300,000 fans.
Bloemfontein has won 3 cups in its football match history, including the Mainstay Cup in 1995, SAA 8 Cup in 2005, and the Telkom Charity Cup in 2007.
9. Maritzburg United
Maritzburg United was founded in 1981 in Pietermaritzburg. The club is popular for saving themselves from being relegated during the 2015/16 season.
Their loyal fans supported the team, and they made it to the eighth position in the National PSL league.
Maritzburg FC has more than 312,000 followers across its social media platforms. Their home stadium is Harry Gwala Stadium in Pietermaritzburg, with a seating capacity of 12,000 people.
The club’s match history entails being runners-up in the cup and the league cup in the seasons from 2017 to 2019.
10. Free State Stars
Free State Stars was founded in 1977 in QwaQwa village, which earned them their initial football club name QwaQwa Stars.
They were also called the Makwane Computer Stars and were promoted to the Premier Soccer League in 1986.
In 2002, the club was sold to the PSL, and its Premiership status was revived in 2005, with Mike Mokoena renaming it to Free State Stars.
The football club has its home stadium at Goble Park in Bethlehem, with an average attendance of 20,000. They also have a following of more than 112,000 people on their social media platforms.
Their most recognisable wins were the Coca-Cola Cup in 1994 and Nedbank Cup in 2018.
Have your say
Is your team featured in the list above? Do you think there’s a growing team in the PSL that is worth checking out? Let us know.