What is the Betway SA20 and how does it work? Our handy guide explains all you need to know about South Africa's exciting T20 tournament.
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What is Betway SA20?
Betway SA20 is South Africa’s T20 league, rivalling global franchise leagues such as the IPL, PSL and Big Bash.
The tournament has a particularly strong link to the IPL, with several of that competition’s franchises branching out into Betway SA20.
The teams competing in Betway SA20 are:
Sunrisers Eastern Cape
MI Cape Town
Durban’s Super Giants
Pretoria Capitals
Joburg Super Kings
Paarl Royals
Each team has a host of world-class talent to call upon, with international stars Aiden Markram, Rashid Khan, Keshav Maharaj, Rilee Rossouw, Faf du Plessis and David Miller captaining the six teams.
Heinrich Klaasen, Kane Williamson, Dinesh Karthik, Joe Root and Trent Boult are among the other superstar names taking part in Betway SA20.
The inaugural season took place in 2023, with Season 3 set to start in January 2025.
When does Betway SA20 Season 3 start?
Betway SA20 runs every year between January and February.
Season 3 begins on 9 January 2025 and ends on 8 February 2025.
The six franchises will battle it out across four weeks and 33 matches.
What is the format of the competition?
The majority of the matches are played in the group stage, where each team will play each other twice in a double round-robin format.
It begins with Sunrisers Eastern Cape playing MI Cape Town on January 9 and ends with MI Cape Town v Pretoria Capitals on 2 February.
On 4 February, the top two teams from the group stage will face off in Qualifier 1 with a spot in the final up for grabs. The losing team will still have a chance to reach the final in Qualifier 2.
On 5 February, the third- and fourth-placed teams from the group stage will meet in a single eliminator. The losing side will be knocked out of the tournament, while the winning team will enter Qualifier 2.
Qualifier 2 will be played on 6 February, with the winning side advancing to the showpiece final, which takes place on 8 February at Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg.
How many teams are there in the SA20 league? Who owns them? What is the link between SA20 and the IPL?
The six SA20 franchises have been bought by IPL franchise owners, as reflected in the six team names.
Durban’s Super Giants are owned by RPSG Group, who also own Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL.
Joburg Super Kings are owned by India Cements, who also own Chennai Super Kings.
MI Cape Town are owned by Reliance Industries, who also own Mumbai Indians.
Paarl Royals are owned by businessman Manoj Badale, who also owns Rajasthan Royals.
Pretoria Capitals are owned by JSW Group, who also own the Delhi Capitals.
Sunrisers Eastern Cape are owned by SUN Group, who also own Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Indian sports network Viacom18 has also agreed a 10-year partnership for exclusive media rights to broadcast SA20 in India.
The Indian influence over this competition has resulted in it being known informally as a ‘mini IPL’.
It is considered a major step towards a global club structure, where players are hired by franchises to represent their teams around the world.
Who won Betway SA20 in 2024?
Sunrisers Eastern Cape are the reigning Betway SA20 champions. They beat Durban’s Super Giants by 89 runs in the Season 2 final in Cape Town.
SEC also won the first season of Betway SA20, as they beat the Pretoria Capitals by four wickets in the 2023 final. They will be going for a third consecutive title in Season 3.
