KwaZulu-Natal has emerged as the potential kingmaker in the battle for the South African Football Association (SAFA) presidency, following the intervention of AmaZulu King Misuzulu kaZwelithini in support of Sandile Zungu.
Zungu, the AmaZulu Football Club president, is challenging incumbent SAFA president Danny Jordaan in what has become a fiercely contested two-horse race ahead of the elective congress on 12 September 2026.
The stakes are particularly high in KwaZulu-Natal, which has 11 of SAFA’s 52 regions, making it the province with the largest number of regions and potentially the most influential bloc in determining the next SAFA president.
The intervention by King Misuzulu has changed the narrative to the contest which many belived that it was going to be an easy path for Jordaan.
The Zulu monarch has thrown his support behind Zungu and, through his Royal Chancellor, Inkosi Malusi Zondi, called on all 11 football regions in KwaZulu-Natal to unite behind the AmaZulu boss.
“His Majesty King Misuzulu has sent us to ensure that Mr Sandile Zungu gets the maximum support in his home province,” Zondi said.
Zondi further urged the province not to go to the congress divided, saying the King wanted the regions to vote as a united bloc.
SAFA KwaZulu-Natal chairperson Kwenza Khwela has claimed that seven of the province’s 11 regions support Jordaan and the Football Transformation Forum.
That claim, however, is now being challenged by the momentum behind Zungu’s campaign.
Zungu confident of his chances
Zungu has himself indicated that his campaign has made considerable progress and that he is encouraged by the support coming from different parts of the country.
His campaign, operating under the banner Save Our SAFA (SOS), has attracted the backing of former Bafana Bafana stars, including Lucas Radebe and Mark Fish, who are among the football personalities supporting his bid.
The support from the two former internationals gives Zungu’s campaign added credibility among football stakeholders, particularly as he seeks to present himself as the candidate capable of bringing a new direction to SAFA.
Zungu’s campaign argues that his business background can help attract investment into football, particularly at grassroots level and in the lower divisions.
He has also previously said that the response to his campaign has left him increasingly confident about his prospects.
The significance of KwaZulu-Natal, however, cannot be overstated.
With 11 regions, the province alone accounts for more than a fifth of SAFA’s regional structures. If Zungu can secure a large majority of those votes, he could dramatically narrow or overturn Jordaan’s reported advantage.
The “almost gone” warning
Zungu’s assessment of his campaign in KwaZulu-Natal has also attracted attention.
He has suggested that the province is “almost gone” to his campaign, a claim that reflects his confidence that the balance of power is shifting in his favour.
That assertion is particularly important because it contrasts sharply with the position of Jordaan’s supporters in the province, who maintain that the incumbent remains ahead.
The conflicting claims mean that the 11 KwaZulu-Natal regions could become the most closely watched voting bloc when delegates gather for the congress.
The King’s intervention could therefore prove politically significant, although it does not automatically guarantee that all 11 football regions will vote for Zungu. SAFA’s electoral structures, rather than the traditional authority of the monarchy, will ultimately determine how individual regions cast their votes.
Jordaan is seeking a fourth consecutive term after taking over the SAFA presidency in 2013.
For Zungu, the election represents an opportunity to end Jordaan’s long tenure and usher in what his campaign describes as a new era for South African football.
Zungu’s supporters believe that his experience in business, coupled with the backing of former Bafana stars such as Radebe and Fish, gives him the profile required to challenge the incumbent.
But Jordaan’s camp remains confident.
The Football Transformation Forum says it has significant support across the country, while Khwela has publicly maintained that seven of KZN’s 11 regions support Jordaan.
If Zungu’s claim that KwaZulu-Natal is “almost gone” proves accurate, the province could become the decisive battleground that changes the complexion of the SAFA presidential race. If Jordaan retains his reported seven-region advantage, however, the incumbent will have a powerful buffer heading into the congress.
With 52 regions across the country, the battle is ultimately about assembling a winning coalition. But all eyes are now firmly on KwaZulu-Natal — the province carrying the biggest block of votes and, potentially, the deciding influence over who leads South African football for the next term.
