CAF has doubled the 2026 WAFCON winner’s prize to $2 million (about R33 million), taking investment in the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations to record levels under president Dr Patrice Motsepe.
The announcement comes just days after Banyana Banyana’s colourful send-off to Morocco, where South Africa will begin its bid to reclaim the continental title while competing for the biggest prize fund in the tournament’s history.
The increase also comes as women’s football attracts stronger commercial backing, reflected in Stayfree’s Goals 4 Pads campaign, which links every Banyana Banyana goal to menstrual health support for girls across South Africa.
From $200,000 to $2 million under Motsepe
Speaking during a media briefing in Johannesburg which NOWinSA attended, Motsepe said the latest increase forms part of CAF’s long-term commitment to growing women’s football through measurable investment.
“We have increased the prize money for WAFCON by 900%. It’s unbelievable,” Motsepe said.
“You can make all sorts of promises and say nice things, but if you don’t back them up with quantifiable, visible and tangible actions, they mean very little.
“When I became president, the winners of the women’s competition received USD200,000. We first increased it to USD1 million, and now the champions will receive USD2 million.”
The winners’ cheque has therefore increased tenfold since Motsepe took office in 2021.
CAF has also expanded the tournament’s overall prize fund by 67%, from $3.475 million to $5.8 million.
The runners-up will receive $750,000, while every one of the 16 participating nations is guaranteed $150,000 in participation funding, up from $125,000 at the previous edition.
Motsepe said CAF’s total investment in the competition has grown from $975,000 under the previous administration to almost $6 million.
“There is still a lot more that we have to do, but this demonstrates our commitment to developing women’s football on the African continent,” he said.
Record investment reshapes women’s football
For years, women’s football received only a fraction of the commercial investment enjoyed by the men’s game.
That picture is changing.
Alongside CAF’s record financial commitment, long-term partners and new commercial backers are investing more deliberately in the women’s game.
Sasol, for example, has backed SAFA and Banyana Banyana since 2009, making it South Africa’s longest-running women’s sport sponsorship.
Over the past 17 years, that support has accompanied some of the team’s biggest milestones, including two Olympic Games appearances, two FIFA Women’s World Cup campaigns and their historic 2022 WAFCON triumph.
In October 2025, Sasol also extended its partnership with SAFA for another four years, reinforcing support for Banyana’s 2026 WAFCON campaign and the road to qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
New partnerships are also emerging.
One example is the SAFA-powered Goals 4 Pads initiative, a first-of-its-kind campaign that will donate 1,000 packs of sanitary pads to schools, football academies and community organisations for every goal scored by Banyana Banyana during WAFCON.
Rather than focusing only on branding, the initiative addresses a practical barrier that prevents many girls from participating in sport.
Higher prize money is only part of the story. Long-standing sponsors such as Sasol, alongside newer initiatives like Goals 4 Pads, reflect broader investment in women’s football that stretches beyond the tournament itself.
More at stake for Banyana in Morocco
South Africa heads to Morocco with more than continental honours at stake.
Banyana Banyana, who won their maiden WAFCON title in 2022 before finishing fourth at the delayed 2025 tournament, will also be chasing qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
They open their Group B campaign against Tanzania on 27 July, before facing Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso.
The increased prize fund gives participating nations greater financial support while creating opportunities for football associations to reinvest in players, coaches and development structures.
For South Africa, the tournament also presents another opportunity to build on the growing profile of women’s football.
What the prize money means for women’s football
The figures show how quickly investment has changed over the past five years.
In 2021, the WAFCON champions received $200,000.
This year, the winners will earn $2 million, while every participating nation is guaranteed a larger financial return than ever before.
CAF’s increased investment provides one part of that momentum. Campaigns such as Goals 4 Pads add another by bringing private-sector support into the women’s game and addressing barriers that keep many girls away from football.
Together, they point to a stronger future for women’s football across Africa.
The 2026 WAFCON runs from 26 July to 16 August in Morocco. .
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