This newly introduced accolade puts African supporters at the centre of the Premier League conversation, giving them the exclusive power to crown the continent’s top-performing stars each month.
Manchester United forward Bryan Mbeumo claimed the inaugural August 2026 award, beating Antoine Semenyo, Mamadou Sangaré, Semi Ajayi and Nobel Mendy in the fan vote.
Mbeumo’s win followed a standout start to the season, highlighted by a spectacular lobbed finish during Manchester United’s 5-2 win over Ipswich Town.
The interactive campaign debuts as parent company MultiChoice steps up aggressive efforts to win back lapsed DStv subscribers, including the highly anticipated rollout of a dedicated entry-level sports channel priced at R399.
Monthly winners will automatically compete for the season-long African Premier League Player of the Year title.
Supporters can access the vote through the SuperSport Predictor platform, with each voting window remaining open for 72 hours after the monthly shortlist goes live.
🏆 Driving fan engagement across Africa
To drive participation, SuperSport is offering fans on the Predictor leaderboard the chance to win smartphones, VIP season packages, and live Premier League match experiences in the UK.
To qualify for the grand season prize, users must vote in at least five monthly rounds. SuperSport’s campaign message is simple: “You pick. Africa decides.”
The initiative recognises a long lineage of African Premier League icons, from Jay-Jay Okocha and Didier Drogba to current stars like Mohammed Kudus, Mohamed Salah, and Carlos Baleba.
It gives fans a new way to engage with the league beyond match day.
MultiChoice tackles revenue and subscriber pressures
The move towards a dedicated SuperSport package has been in the development for some time to address steep commercial challenges.
MultiChoice previously reported a loss of 2.8 million DStv subscribers. According to the company’s FY25 Annual Results, this structural exodus contributed to a R1.7 billion subscription revenue drop for the financial year ended March 31, 2025.
This culminated in a R5.2 billion decline in overall group revenue for the financial year ended March 31, 2025.
The SuperSport fan-voted award launch also comes months after Canal+ and Warner Bros. Discovery finalised a multi-year content partnership in December 2025.
The deal was designed to strengthen MultiChoice’s content ecosystem, reverse declining viewer metrics, and establish the structural foundation for standalone premium sports offerings.
IN OTHER NEWS: Newly appointed Bafana Bafana coach Pitso Mosimane has named his first squad for the AFCON 2027 qualifiers, with Sipho Maboe among the inclusions.
