In celebration of Banyana Banyana’s excellent performance at the 2023 Fifa Women’s World Cup, TymeBank, one of the world’s fastest-growing digital banks, will reward the team handsomely.
TymeBank, which is majority owned by SA billionaire Patrice Motsepe’s African Rainbow Capital, is pledging a portion of each customer transaction processed (R1million for every 10 million transactions) during Women’s Month (August 2023) towards the national team’s World Cup bonuses.
There is still a deadlock between Banyana support staff and the South African Football Association (Safa) regarding the bonuses of the technical and coaching staff. Safa said that they did not promise the team the R115 000 for technical members that was announced by South African Football Players’ Union president Thulaganyo Gaoshubelwe at a press conference last month. The Union is threatening the football association with court action if they do not honour their side of the contract. However, this shot in the arm from TymeBank will come in handy for the team and staff.
Banyana are on their way home after they were knocked out by the Netherlands on Sunday morning. The team will start arriving in dribs and drabs from Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Despite their loss, they made history by becoming the first SA team to the reach the knockout stage of a Fifa World Cup.
TymeBank says that customers can support this worthy initiative at no cost to themselves by simply transacting on their TymeBank account. At the end of August 2023, the bank will hand over the proceeds from this initiative to the team, equally distributed among the team members and technical staff.
Said TymeBank chief commercial officer Cheslyn Jacobs on Tuesday: “Our National Women’s Football team’s talent, passion and determination to succeed against the odds resonates with us as a challenger bank. We applaud them for their outstanding performance at this year’s tournament – in the hearts and minds of millions of South Africans, they are truly winners who have made us all proud. This is an opportunity for the bank to join forces with customers in acknowledging this phenomenal team, who we believe deserve to be fairly compensated.”
The new banking kids on the block explained further that historically, female footballers have been paid far less than their male counterparts, not only in South Africa but across the world.
“Many players are therefore forced to balance a full-time job with their football career. Despite such challenges, the Banyana players have performed so well at the highest level of the sport. TymeBank fully supports the valid demand for the team to get equal pay for equal work.”
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