27 September 2017 – The South African Football Association’s (SAFA) efforts to empower female referees have received a massive boost after young official Akhona Makalima was invited to the CAF A Referee Elite Women course, to be held in Rabat, Morocco next month.

The course, which will take place from the 26th to the 30th of October 2017, will see 20 referees and 19 assistant referees improve their skills and knowledge, while learning about new emerging trends in refereeing.

Makalima, who has officiated in the country’s elite leagues, has been in charge of PSL games, with her recent match in the league being between SuperSport United and Polokwane City.

For the SAFA, the invite augurs well with the organization’s Vision 2022 that is not just about producing quality and talented players, but referees and coaches as well.

With the Elite A Women course, Makalima will get a chance to share ideas with other top female referees from around the continent, while representing the best of local referees.

The move is also aimed at inspiring and increasing the number of female referees and coaches in future.

Makalima is expected to jet off the country a few days before the course takes place.