List of South African football club name changes

South African Football clubs regularly changed their names. Former Premier Soccer League (PSL) Chief Executive Trevor Phillips complained that regular name changes and license buy outs was turning the PSL into a "mumbo-jumbo" league. Clubs in the top-tier were sometimes bought by businessman and renamed to have the same name as a club with previous history. In May 2008, this was partially resolved when governing body FIFA stepped in to prevent clubs purchasing licenses to play in a higher league.
In 2002, the league organisers opted to purchase two clubs; Free State Stars (Qwa-Qwa) and Ria Stars (Polokwane) and dissolve them to reduce fixture congestion. Each club was purchased for R8million. Free State Stars were originally known as Qwa Qwa Stars. Another club known as Free State Stars F.C. has been established since. The owner of the original Free State Stars purchased a club in the lower divisions Maholosiane and renamed it to Free State Stars.
The club Dynamos sold their PSL license to AmaZulu who were formerly known as Zulu Royals in 2006. A new team known as Dyanmos F.C. was established in the wake of the sale in a lower division.
Tembisa Classic sold their PSL license to Maritzburg United
Wits University renamed their Premier Soccer League team to Bidvest Wits in time for the 2006/07 season. Bidvest, a major services, distribution and trading company sponsored the club for several seasons before purchasing naming rights to the club.
Original Club Name 	New Club Name 	Date Changed 	Reason for change
Khakhu Fast XI 	Mapate Silver Stars 	1998 	
Mapate Silver Stars 	HP Silver Stars 	2000 	Larry Brookstone, the owner of Highlands Park, bought the majority of shares. Despite the new ownership, the club continued to play at Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane.
HP Silver Stars 	Silver Stars 	200x 	Name was shortened, when the Highlands Park junior team stopped as a nursery team for the club.
Silver Stars 	Platinum Stars 	May 2007 	Royal Bafokeng Nation (RBN) entered as the clubs sponsor in 2006 and relocated the team to play at Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Phokeng. Club name also changed, when RBN bought 51% of the shares in May 2007.
Cape Town Spurs & Seven Stars 	Ajax Cape Town 	1999 	Result of Merger after Ajax Amsterdam buy out
University of Port Elizabeth-FCK (UPE-FCK) & Port Elizabeth Technikon	Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University-FCK (NMMU-FCK)	2004 	Merger between universities.
Wits University 	Bidvest Wits 	2006 	
Qwa-Qwa Stars 	Free State Stars 	1999 	
Amazulu 	Zulu Royals 	2003 	
Basotho Tigers 	North West Tigers 	2004 	
PJ Stars 	M Tigers 	2007 	
Hellenic 	Benoni Premier United 	2005 	
Pietersburg Pillars 	City Pillars 	2005 	
Uthukela 	Nathi Lions 	2005 	
Tembisa Classic 	Maritzburg United 	2005 	
Manning Rangers 	Fidentia Rangers 	2006 	
Mabopane Young Masters 	FC AK 	2006 	
Vasco da Gama 	FC Cape Town 	2007 	
Benoni Premier United 	Thanda Royal Zulu 	10 October 2007	
City Pillars 	Mpumalanga Black Aces 	2007 	
Fidentia Rangers 	Ikapa Sporting 	2008 	
Bay United 	Polokwane City 	2012 	Club had moved from Port Elizabeth to Polokwane.
Mbekweni Cosmos 	Chippa United 	2010 	New owner's nickname was 'Chippa'.
== References ==
 
Name changes