How many foreign players can a club have?
Rule- South Africa
- PSL
- Betway Premiership
- NSL Handbook
- Professional football
- Senior
- 2026/27
- Fans
Under NSL Handbook Rule 34:
- A foreign player is anyone who is not a South African citizen, unless they have permanent residence under South African law.
- A club may have no more than 5 foreign players contracted at any time.
- A Betway Premiership club may field any number of its registered foreign players in a match.
(In the Motsepe Foundation Championship, only 3 foreign players may start a league match.)
To register a foreign player, the club must show they may lawfully work in South Africa for the full contract. If the work permit hasn't arrived when the window closes, proof of the application is enough to register, but the player can only play once the permit is received (Rule 31.8.7).
Updated 22 Oct 2026