# 1997–98 National First Division

The 1997–98 National First Division was the 2nd season of the second tier of South African soccer since the reorganisation in 1996.
With a new sponsor, United Bank, the number of stream was cut from four to two, an Inland stream and a Coastal stream of 20 teams each.
The Coastal stream was won by Dynamos and the Inland stream by Seven Stars, with both earning promotion to the 1998–99 Premier Soccer League.
The number of teams was again reduced at the end of the season, with the Coastal stream being reduced to 14 teams, and the Inland stream to 16 teams, in the 1998–99 season.

## Coastal stream
### League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Seven Stars (C, P) | 38 | 30 | 8 | 0 | 94 | 16 | +78 | 98 | Promoted to 1998–99 Premier Soccer League |
| 2 | Warriors | 38 | 29 | 7 | 2 | 93 | 24 | +69 | 94 | |
| 3 | Wynberg St Johns | 38 | 20 | 9 | 9 | 66 | 31 | +35 | 69 | |
| 4 | Saxon Rovers | 38 | 19 | 8 | 11 | 82 | 55 | +27 | 65 | |
| 5 | Golden Arrows | 38 | 17 | 12 | 9 | 55 | 42 | +13 | 63 | |
| 6 | Avendale Athletico | 38 | 17 | 10 | 11 | 67 | 45 | +22 | 61 | |
| 7 | Park United | 38 | 15 | 13 | 10 | 57 | 43 | +14 | 58 | |
| 8 | Royal Tigers | 38 | 17 | 7 | 14 | 60 | 57 | +3 | 58 | |
| 9 | Milano | 38 | 14 | 11 | 13 | 58 | 49 | +9 | 53 | |
| 10 | Trinitarians | 38 | 14 | 9 | 15 | 45 | 57 | −12 | 51 | |
| 11 | Bush Bucks | 38 | 13 | 9 | 16 | 39 | 54 | −15 | 48 | |
| 12 | Vasco da Gama | 38 | 11 | 14 | 13 | 57 | 55 | +2 | 47 | |
| 13 | FN Rangers | 38 | 13 | 8 | 17 | 47 | 57 | −10 | 47 | |
| 14 | Maritzburg United | 38 | 12 | 6 | 20 | 67 | 98 | −31 | 42 | |
| 15 | Blackburn Rovers (R) | 38 | 10 | 11 | 17 | 28 | 46 | −18 | 41 | Relegation to 1998–99 SAFA Second Division |
| 16 | Leeds United (R) | 38 | 10 | 10 | 18 | 52 | 79 | −27 | 40 | Relegation to 1998–99 SAFA Second Division |
| 17 | Newcastle Blizzards (R) | 38 | 8 | 13 | 17 | 41 | 62 | −21 | 37 | Relegation to 1998–99 SAFA Second Division |
| 18 | Mitchells Plain United (R) | 38 | 6 | 8 | 24 | 31 | 65 | −34 | 26 | Relegation to 1998–99 SAFA Second Division |
| 19 | Stanger United (R) | 38 | 4 | 11 | 23 | 30 | 84 | −54 | 23 | Relegation to 1998–99 SAFA Second Division |
| 20 | Blues United (R) | 38 | 4 | 10 | 24 | 34 | 97 | −63 | 22 | Relegation to 1998–99 SAFA Second Division |

## Inland stream
### League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Dynamos F.C. (C, P) | 92 | 28 | 5 | 59 | 91 | 34 | +57 | 89 | Promoted to 1998–99 Premier Soccer League |
| 2 | Witbank Aces | 38 | 24 | 7 | 7 | 89 | 41 | +48 | 79 | |
| 3 | Thembisa Classic | 38 | 23 | 7 | 8 | 96 | 39 | +57 | 76 | |
| 4 | Ria Stars | 38 | 22 | 6 | 10 | 60 | 43 | +17 | 72 | |
| 5 | All Nations | 38 | 19 | 9 | 10 | 64 | 47 | +17 | 66 | |
| 6 | Spartak | 38 | 17 | 13 | 8 | 53 | 37 | +16 | 64 | |
| 7 | Unisaints | 38 | 20 | 3 | 15 | 70 | 59 | +11 | 63 | |
| 8 | Black Leopards | 38 | 17 | 10 | 11 | 76 | 57 | +19 | 61 | |
| 9 | Tsakane Aces | 38 | 15 | 14 | 9 | 48 | 45 | +3 | 59 | |
| 10 | Morning Stars | 38 | 15 | 12 | 11 | 69 | 58 | +11 | 57 | |
| 11 | Sporting | 38 | 13 | 15 | 10 | 47 | 51 | −4 | 54 | |
| 12 | Publican Brothers | 38 | 14 | 8 | 16 | 64 | 66 | −2 | 50 | |
| 13 | RP Mines | 38 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 59 | 60 | −1 | 46 | |
| 14 | Rockridge | 45 | 11 | 13 | 21 | 60 | 63 | −3 | 46 | |
| 15 | Robertsham Callies (R) | 38 | 8 | 15 | 15 | 57 | 65 | −8 | 39 | Relegation to 1998–99 SAFA Second Division |
| 16 | Black Bees (R) | 38 | 7 | 8 | 23 | 40 | 70 | −30 | 23 | Relegation to 1998–99 SAFA Second Division |
| 17 | Mighty Birds (R) | 38 | 5 | 8 | 25 | 45 | 99 | −54 | 23 | Relegation to 1998–99 SAFA Second Division |
| 18 | Makhanda (R) | 38 | 5 | 6 | 27 | 44 | 100 | −56 | 21 | Relegation to 1998–99 SAFA Second Division |
| 19 | Mighty FC (R) | 38 | 4 | 6 | 28 | 42 | 117 | −75 | 18 | Relegation to 1998–99 SAFA Second Division |
| 20 | Unknown (R) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Relegation to 1998–99 SAFA Second Division |