Insights worth knowing.

Contracts, sponsorships, valuations and looks, in the order they land. Every item links to its source.

EndorsementBavuma adds Audi to Mukuru and Skechers in 2026 CricketKlaasen retained at R48m, Rabada bought for R22m: the IPL prices SA talent TransferMofokeng to Union SG for about €3m on a four-year deal TransferMakhanya to Rangers for about £3m, seventh on the all-time list ReviewSamsung and the Springboks, eleven months in: Samsung SA shipments +15% in a falling market EndorsementThomas du Toit takes delivery of a BAIC B30 for social content CampaignMcatshulwa and Hele front adidas "Comfort speaks for itself" EndorsementMbokazi × Barloworld: "When the work is heavy, trust TLB" CodeLibbie Janse van Rensburg × Boerboel: LIBBO2, revenue tracked to the order IndustrySA rugby players and employers agree a new two-and-a-half-year deal SponsorJonsson Workwear takes the front of the Proteas shirt, multi-year IndustrySA rugby players and employers agree a new two-and-a-half-year deal SponsorJonsson Workwear takes the front of the Proteas shirt, multi-year

Jake Dave, SACS flyhalf, steps a Rondebosch tackler

Insight · One to watch, 2027

Jake Dave, and the SACS side that grew up together.

Twenty-four of SACS's thirty-four points against Paul Roos came off the boot and the feet of a Grade 11 flyhalf: a try, two conversions and five penalties in a 38-34 loss that NovaNews called the performance of the weekend. Four weeks later he managed the game that beat Wynberg 44-29. Dave came up through Western Province's Grant Khomo u16A side with centre James Sale, and with Kwakanya Gobe they anchor a group that has played together since u13 and reaches matric in 2027. This is the roster INANI is built for: a number on the player before any professional body holds his image rights.

v Paul Roos24 pts1 try, 2 conversions, 5 penalties, 25 Jul 2026

v Wynberg44-29SACS win, 22 Aug 2026

PathwayWP u16AGrant Khomo, with James Sale

Matric2027Dave, Sale and Gobe, Grade 11 in 2026

Sources: NovaNews, 27 Jul 2026 · SuperSport Schools, 26 Jul 2026 · SA Rugby magazine, 23 Aug 2026 · SuperSport Schools, 24 Feb 2026

SACS defender tackles a Paul Roos ball carrier

Insight · Schools

A schoolboy's number is set by who he did it against

Four standouts were named for the weekend of 25 July. Twenty-four points in a four-point loss to Paul Roos sits above two tries and six conversions in a 28-point win over Rondebosch, because opposition strength and margin are the first two inputs in INANI's school model, before the raw score. Dave, Willemse, de Beer and Burden open 2027 with different starting values, and the gap is explainable.

Record: NovaNews, 27 Jul 2026

Wits players lift the FNB Varsity Shield trophy, 2026

Insight · University

Promotion is a repricing event for every player in the squad

Wits go from the Shield to the Varsity Cup on an unbeaten season. Same players, a bigger broadcast window and a higher sponsorship tier from the first match of 2027. The value of a Wits shirt, a Wits player's social reach and the university's own inventory should be re-benchmarked before the season starts, not after a sponsor has already paid Shield prices for Cup exposure.

Record: Varsity Cup, 10 Apr 2026 · Varsity Sports

Relay changeover at the Curro Podium athletics series

Insight · Athletics

The value of a school meeting is the records it creates

Nearly 2,000 athletes across two days on live television is a sponsorship property in its own right, but the longer value sits underneath it: every athlete on that track from age seven has a dated, timed, broadcast result. That is one of the earliest points in South African sport at which a valuation can start, and it is where INANI starts one.

Record: Curro, Feb 2026

Banyana Banyana players celebrate a goal

Insight · Sponsorship

Banyana Banyana: Africa's champions of 2022 spent four months without a sponsor.

Sasol has backed the women's national team since 2009. The deal lapsed on 30 June 2025, two days after the squad sat out training in Morocco over unpaid match fees, and five days before WAFCON kicked off. South Africa finished fourth and collected $300,000. The renewal came on 24 October 2025, four more years to 2029, value undisclosed. The continent's champions of 2022 went into a continental tournament with nothing on the training kit, and nobody published what the shirt was worth. That is the number INANI puts on the table before the next renewal.

Sponsor since2009Sasol, premier partner

Gap116 days30 Jun to 24 Oct 2025

Renewed to2029value undisclosed

WAFCON 2024$300kfourth place, Jul 2025

Sources: SAFA, 24 Oct 2025 · TimesLIVE, 2 Jul 2025 · Daily Maverick, 29 Jun 2025 · Briefly, 26 Jul 2025 · Bizcommunity, 20 Jul 2026

How INANI prices a shirt How INANI prices a shirt

Banyana Banyana lift the 2022 Women's Africa Cup of Nations trophy in Morocco

The record

WAFCON winners in 2022, a first World Cup knockout in 2023, fourth in 2025, quarterfinal in 2026. Equal match fees with Bafana Bafana confirmed by SAFA in June 2023.

Source: TimesLIVE, 23 Jun 2023

Banyana Banyana in Sasol-branded kit walking out of the tunnel

What is undisclosed

The Sasol fee, the per-match fee, the WAFCON 2026 bonus structure. Sasol's own release names the term, the training and travel kit and the 2009 start date, and no number. SAFA's proposed split of FIFA prize money for 2026 covers both national teams, and the players' union is still studying it.

Sources: Sasol, 24 Oct 2025 · SAFA

Karabo Dhlamini challenged by Sakina Ouzraoui, Morocco v South Africa, WAFCON 2026 quarterfinal, Rabat

WAFCON 2026: out in the quarterfinal

Morocco 2, South Africa 1 in Rabat on 8 August 2026; Kgatlana's 67th-minute goal was not enough. Sasol's "Ntswembu, Namanje" campaign had launched with the squad nineteen days earlier, the first activation of the new term. A quarterfinal exit three weeks into a four-year deal is exactly when a sponsor asks what it bought. INANI's answer is the measured audience, not the result.

Sources: SAFA, 8 Aug 2026 · Bizcommunity, 20 Jul 2026

Two Springboks with Galaxy devices at the Samsung Galaxy S26 series launch

Insight · Sponsorship review

Samsung and the Springboks, eleven months in. Has it paid?

On 27 November 2025 Samsung became official mobile and consumer electronics partner to SA Rugby's five national squads and an associate sponsor of the Vodacom URC, on a two-year term with no fee disclosed. Here is what the public record can and cannot say about the return.

Signed27 Nov 2025SA Rugby and URC, two years

Squads covered5Boks, Bok Women, Juniors, Sevens men and women

FeeUndisclosedno filing, no reported figure

Players activated6+S26 Ultra unboxing, May 2026

What has been activated

The Galaxy S26 Ultra unboxing in May 2026 put Handré Pollard, Willie le Roux, Ruan Nortje, Marco van Staden, Kurt-Lee Arendse and Canan Moodie in front of the camera with the S26 Ultra, Buds4 Pro and Watch Ultra. Samsung's stated plan covers stadium activations, digital content and fan competitions; the squads also receive devices and training-facility electronics.

Sources: SuperSport, 27 Nov 2025 · Lifestyle and Tech, 15 May 2026

What the market did

South Africa smartphone shipments, Q2 2026 v Q2 2025Omdia, via SammyFans

StatCounter puts Samsung at 49.75% of South African mobile web traffic in September 2026, ahead of Apple at 18.57% and Honor at 8.8%.

Sources: Omdia Q2 2026 · StatCounter, Sep 2026

INANI's reading

Correlation, not attribution. Samsung grew 15% in a falling market during the first three full quarters of the deal. That is consistent with the sponsorship working; it does not prove it. Price moves, the S26 launch cycle and Transsion's retreat all sit in the same quarter.

What would settle it. Tracked codes on Springbok content, connected-account reach for the six activated players, and a sales lift test against the URC weeks. None of that is public, so the honest answer on return is: unmeasured, with the market signal pointing the right way.

What the renewal needs. With the two-year term ending in late 2027, Samsung has one URC season and one Rugby Championship left to turn the signal into evidence. INANI's benchmark is ready when the fee is on the table.

How INANI measures return Request the full edition

Relebohile Mofokeng in a Union Saint-Gilloise shirt

Insight · Transfers

Mofokeng to Union SG: a €3m fee for a World Cup starter.

Relebohile Mofokeng left Orlando Pirates for Royale Union Saint-Gilloise on a four-year deal straight after the 2026 World Cup, where he started at 10 in the win over South Korea. The fee is reported at about €3m (R55m to R60m). INANI prices the sale against the player's record, not the fee the buyer chose to disclose.

Fee€3mreported, about R55m to R60m

Age at sale21four full PSL seasons

Contract4 yearsUnion SG, Jupiler Pro League

Last Pirates season10 + 8goals and assists in 27 starts

Sources: Mail and Guardian, 1 Jul 2026 · SA People, 3 Jul 2026 · Goal, 10 Oct 2026

South Africa's most expensive transfers

Fee, € millionReported fees, Africa Soccer, 3 Aug 2026

Sources: Africa Soccer, 3 Aug 2026 · Soccer Laduma

Olwethu Makhanya holds up a Rangers scarf at his unveiling

Two 2026 entries, one reading

Makhanya, £3m to Rangers. Philadelphia Union bought him from Stellenbosch and sold him on at 23. The profit went to MLS, not the PSL.

Mofokeng, €3m to Union SG. Pirates sold a 21-year-old World Cup starter for a reported fee below the top ten on the all-time list.

The INANI point. South African clubs sell without an independent valuation on the table, so the buyer sets the price. A sourced number before the window opens is the seller's only leverage.

How the return is measured Request a valuation

Jake Dave, SACS number 10, steps a Rondebosch tackler

One to watch · 2027

Jake Dave: the SACS 10 who scored 24 against Paul Roos in Grade 11

A try, two conversions and five penalties in a 38-34 loss, then the game management that beat Wynberg 44-29. He came up through WP's Grant Khomo u16A side with centre James Sale, and with Kwakanya Gobe they lead a group that has played together since u13 and reaches matric in 2027. The first valuation INANI publishes before a contract exists.

Sources: SuperSport Schools, 26 Jul 2026 · SA Rugby magazine, 23 Aug 2026 · SuperSport Schools, Feb 2026 · Instagram

Insight · Sponsorship

Kolisi out-reaches Dupont on three platforms of four. adidas pays both. Does the fee follow the audience?

Read from the profiles on 20 October: Kolisi 2.5M across Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and X, Dupont 2.0M. Dupont wins X by four to one; Kolisi wins everywhere else. Neither fee is public. INANI's benchmark for the renewal is the measured audience, not the trophy cabinet.

Record: profile counts captured 20 Oct 2026 · Live reach

See the comparison

Juan de Jongh and Rudy Paige recording Behind the Ruck

Insight · Retired professionals

A retired Springbok's audience is inventory. No rate card is published.

Behind the Ruck and For the Love of Rugby are weekly shows run by former internationals with no published rate card. INANI values the channel on what it can measure, reach, cadence and the guests it can book, and sets the sponsorship benchmark the hosts would otherwise be negotiating from instinct.

Record: MyPlayers, 29 Jan 2025 · YouTube

Banyana Banyana lift the WAFCON trophy, 2022

Sponsorship

Banyana Banyana: 116 days without a sponsor, then four more years with Sasol

The 2022 African champions went into WAFCON 2025 with the Sasol deal lapsed and match fees unpaid. Renewed to 2029 in October, value undisclosed. INANI's question: what is the shirt worth?

Sources: SAFA · TimesLIVE

Read the insight

Transfer

Mofokeng to Union SG: a €3m fee for a World Cup starter

Four-year deal straight after a World Cup where he started at 10 in the win over South Korea. Pirates took about R55m.

Sources: Mail and Guardian · Goal

Read the insight

Transfer

Makhanya joins Rangers for about £3m, into the all-time top ten

Four-year contract from Philadelphia Union, announced 30 July 2026. The seventh most expensive South African transfer on record, and the profit stays in MLS.

Sources: The Scotsman · Africa Soccer

See the top ten

A Springbok in training kit holds a Galaxy phone at the Samsung launch

Sponsorship review

Samsung and the Springboks, eleven months in: has it paid?

Two-year deal, five squads, no fee disclosed. Samsung's South African shipments grew 15% in a falling market during the first three quarters. Correlation or return? INANI reads the record.

Sources: SuperSport · Omdia

Read the review

Temba Bavuma, centre, in the Jonsson Workwear Tested for Work campaign

Endorsement

Bavuma's 2026: Mukuru in January, Skechers in August, Audi in October

Three ambassador deals in ten months for the Proteas captain, all undisclosed, all ahead of a home Cricket World Cup in 2027. INANI's question for each brand: what is the renewal benchmark?

Sources: Mail and Guardian · TimesLIVE · Briefly

How the return is measured

Prize presentation at a national championship

Athlete rights

Tatjana Smith's $35,000: the case for a number the athlete can see

An Olympic champion's world championship prize money withheld for over a year by her own federation, against a kit fine larger than the prize. Swimming SA will now pay the interest. A dashboard that shows an athlete what she is owed, and by whom, is not a luxury.

Source: Daily Maverick, 23 Sep 2026

Mbekezeli Mbokazi with his QT Sports agent at the Barloworld Building Nations wall

Endorsement

A footballer called TLB sells backhoe loaders. That is a measurable deal.

Barloworld Equipment built a Cat 426 campaign around Mbokazi's nickname, with a phone number and a monthly price on the creative. Every enquiry on 0860 BARLOW during the flight is attributable. INANI's kind of sponsorship.

Source: @barloworldequipmentsouthafrica · @qt_sports

How the return is measured

Libbie Janse van Rensburg with her Boerboel discount code

Revenue in the open

LIBBO2: a Springbok flyhalf whose deal is already tracked to the till

Libbie Janse van Rensburg's Boerboel Wear code puts her name on every order it drives. With 10.5k followers she is the size of athlete the market ignores and the exact case INANI prices: a code, a conversion rate, a commission.

Source: @libbiejvr

How the return is measured

Thomas du Toit at the BAIC South Africa dealership with his B30

Endorsement

Thomas du Toit drives off in a BAIC B30

A vehicle sponsorship, not a cash deal: the Springbok prop gets the locally assembled B30 and BAIC gets first-hand social content on it. The kind of in-kind partnership INANI values at the car's retail price plus the content.

Source: CAR Magazine, 7 Jul 2026

How the return is measured

Kwanda Dimaza carries into contact for Boland Kavaliers in the Currie Cup

Industry

SA rugby's new player deal covers every professional in the country

Players and employers agreed a new employment deal covering roughly two and a half years. The detail is not public yet; INANI will publish the terms as they are confirmed and benchmark them against the previous agreement.

Source: SA Rugby, 6 Aug 2026

How the return is measured

Sponsorship

Jonsson Workwear moves from Ellis Park signage to the Proteas sleeve

A Durban workwear manufacturer with about 5,000 staff now sits on every men's and women's ODI and T20I shirt under a multi-year agreement announced in August 2026.

Source: Company record

How the return is measured

Reports

A4 landscape PDF editions for boardrooms and agencies. Figures sourced, estimates labelled, one currency per report.

Ardie Savea scores against the Springboks as Siya Kolisi attempts the tackle

PDF · A4 landscape

Springboks v All Blacks: the commercial scorecard

Sponsor exposure, social reach and rights value across the rivalry's most recent series.

Open in the demo

Bafana Bafana starting eleven line up before kick-off

PDF · Quarterly

Bafana Bafana, World Cup 2026

Squad reach, partner inventory and the valuation shift through the tournament cycle.

Open in the demo

The six Betway SA20 captains with the trophy at the V&A Waterfront

PDF · Season edition

SA20 Season 4

Franchise values, title and sleeve partners, and the cost per thousand across six teams.

Open in the demo

Sample editions, in preparation. Available to Athlete Elite, Team Elite and Brand Premium accounts, and to media on request.