14 September 2017 – Rollout of SAFA’s first nation-wide registration and competition system, MYSAFA, continued with early-adopting regions receiving their player cards this week.

The SA-designed and -developed system is completely web-based and supports a centralized card printing model.  By the end of 2018 all player id cards issued in South Africa will include the same security devices and all participants in provincial SAB League playoffs in 2018 must be registered on MYSAFA.

The SAFA West Rand team (l to r): Ms. Mami Toyi, Mr. Mzwakhe Mashinini (REO), Ms. Margaret Nzapheza, Mr. Lehlohonolo Ditse

SAFA West Rand was the first to receive cards in the Gauteng area, with SAFA Ekurhuleni a close second. SAFA.net recently attended a meeting of clubs in SAFA West Rand, chaired by SAFA West Rand Regional Executive Officer Mzwakhe Mashinini, for the purposes of card distribution.  The mood was jovial and Mr. Mashinini was full of praise for the system as cards were handed out to teams.

“MYSAFA is not just an improvement on our old methods.  We have used LeagueRepublic in the past and we can already see that MYSAFA has surpassed them in some areas. For instance, our clubs can be tricky, but with these new cards and the Verifier app, any doubt about players’ age and identity is removed.”

“The clubs benefit too,” Mr. Mashinini continued.  “Before, a club might raise disciplinary case about a player if they doubted their identity, but that costs money.  With MYSAFA we expect to see fewer protests in our leagues which actually benefits everyone.”

SAFA West Rand successfully used the MYSAFA paper card sheets and Verifier for the opening week of their SAB League season, and will continue to use them for last minute registrations until the registration period closes.

A SAFA West Rand club checks their newly-minted MYSAFA player cards

SAFA Digital Chief, Jason Anderson was also on hand for the occasion and commemorate another milestone in the MYSAFA project.

“The exciting part for me is that we are starting to see the association linked in a purely transparent way,” explained Mr. Anderson. “MYSAFA’s mission is to create a completely merit-based football culture in South Africa; not only among players but for coaches, referees… even football administrators. For the first time we will be able to answer questions like, who is the winningest coach at the LFA level in South Africa?  Or, who organises the best womens’ leagues?  Not to mention basic statistical questions like, who is the top-scoring U13 boy in the Eastern Cape?”

Rollout will continue with ABC Motsepe League and SAB League registrations through September.  SAFA Digital plan to roll out MYSAFA for LFAs nation-wide starting in November.

For more information contact Jason Anderson at jason@safadigital.net.

 

SAFA Digital would like to thank SAFA West Rand and SAFA Ekurhuleni for their support, as well as the clubs that attended the event at the SAFA West Rand regional office on 13 September.

West Rand clubs present:
Bakoena FC
FC Academy
FC BUGP
Frengy Stars FC
Sibanye Gold Kloof FC
Trabzonspor

Featured image: Kenneth Nsibanyoni, SAFA Ekurhuleni League Coordinator