South Africa's Ramaphosa vows equal pay after women's AFCON win

South Africa’s Ramaphosa vows equal pay after women’s AFCON win

The female national football team’s continental trophy win has sparked a public debate around equal pay in South Africa.
Sotuh Africa's female national football team

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South Africa's players lift the trophy as they celebrate winning the 2022 Women's Africa Cup of Nations final football match between Morocco and South Africa at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat on July 23, 2022 [Fadel Senna/AFP]
Published On 27 Jul 202227 Jul 2022

President Cyril Ramaphosa rolled out the red carpet for South Africa’s national female football team on Wednesday, saying they deserved to be paid as much as their male counterparts after they won their first Africa Cup of Nations.South Africa beat tournament hosts Morocco 2-1 in the final on Saturday in Rabat thanks to a double from striker Hildah Magaia. It was the first continental title for the side known as Banyana Banyana after five final defeats.

The victory has sparked a public debate around equal pay in the country, after it was reported the players would receive less money in prize bonuses than their male colleagues did for reaching the quarter-finals of the men’s tournament in 2019.

“Our hearts are filled with pride. They are bursting at the seams with a great deal of joy,” Ramaphosa said during a reception at the government’s Union Buildings in the capital.

“You deserve equal pay for equal work that you do,” he told the players, urging the country’s ministers of finance and sports to up the bonus. “We need to give added remuneration to these young women who have made our country so proud. But having done so, we must then make sure that we eliminate the whole process of unequal pay out of our system.”
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https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/7/27/president-ramaphosa-vows-equal-pay-for-south-africa-women-after-afcon-win