Until recently, South African professional football had no stated coaching-qualification bar. It now does, and it is specific.
The requirement
From the 2024/25 season, a coach in the PSL must hold a CAF A licence, and an assistant coach must hold a CAF B licence.
SAFA approved the implementation of these coaching standards, and the association pressed ahead with them through 2023 into the 2024/25 introduction.
Why it became possible when it did
The standards followed South Africa's readmission to the CAF Coaching Convention, which cleared the way for CAF A and B courses to be delivered domestically again. Without local delivery, a domestic licence requirement would have been unenforceable in practice — you cannot require a badge that coaches have no way to obtain.
The return of the CAF A licence diploma to South Africa drew a notable cohort: established PSL coaches and well-known former players enrolling together, precisely because the rule made the badge non-optional.
What it means if you are trying to get in
Three things follow.
The ladder is now the job description. D, then C, then B, then A. There is no lateral entry, and the A licence sits at the end of a multi-year sequence that assumes active coaching throughout.
Start earlier than feels necessary. The binding constraint is course availability, not ability. Demand at B and A rose sharply once the standards took effect, and places are finite.
The badge is a floor, not a ticket. Meeting the standard makes you eligible. Clubs still hire on record, network and reputation — a CAF A licence gets you considered, it does not get you appointed.
And if you hold a European licence?
It does not substitute. A head coach at CAF inter-club competitions needs a CAF A, or a Pro Licence from a sister confederation if that qualification is from outside the continent. For a South African coach, that exemption does not apply. We have written about that in detail in UEFA licence vs CAF licence.
Where Tribal Nation Sports fits
Tribal Nation Sports is a football education platform based in Cape Town. We do not issue SAFA, CAF or UEFA qualifications — those are issued by federations, and any claim otherwise should be treated with suspicion. What we run is the preparation and the continuing education around them: a free Foundation Certificate, masterclasses taught by working professionals, and specialist courses for the analysis and academy roles the badge pathway does not cover.
Start with the free Foundation Certificate — three modules, about ninety minutes, no cost.
Sources
- SABC Sport — PSL to introduce coaching standards in 2024/25
- TimesLIVE — Safa forges ahead with introduction of coaching standards
- News24 — Top PSL coaches set to earn prestigious badge as SAFA hosts CAF A licence diploma
- iDiski Times — Chiefs & Downs legends join PSL coaches for CAF A licence
Checked 16 August 2026. Coaching-course dates, prices and entry rules change — confirm with the issuing federation before you rely on them.
Key takeaways
- →Head coach: CAF A licence. Assistant coach: CAF B. In force from the 2024/25 season.
- →The standards were approved by SAFA and follow South Africa's readmission to the CAF Coaching Convention.
- →The rule created a surge of established PSL coaches enrolling on the CAF A diploma.
- →A licence is necessary but not sufficient — clubs still hire on record and reputation.