South Africa players face heavy taxes on World Cup prize as Africa secures nine of 32 knockout spots

Ten African nations qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and nine of them advanced to the knockout stage, giving the continent a 28% share of the last‑32 teams. South Africa was eliminated by Canada in the round of 32.

The South African squad earned an estimated R1.6 million each from FIFA’s R222 million prize pool, after SAFA received 70% (R155.4 million) and the players shared the remaining 30% (R66.6 million). Financial analyst Munya Shumba explained that players must first pay a 30% U.S. federal tax on the U.S.-sourced portion of the prize, then South Africa’s SARS claims a further 15% under the double‑tax treaty. For captain Ronwen Williams, this could mean roughly R480 000 in U.S. tax and R240 000 to SARS, leaving about R880 000 net.

In addition, Minister of Sport Gayton McKenzie promised a R5 million bonus for reaching the knockout stage, which will also be subject to South African tax.