SA20: South Africa's T20 League — Format, Teams and History
SA20 is South Africa's premier T20 franchise cricket competition, launched in January 2023. This guide covers the format, the six IPL-backed teams, how it has changed South African domestic cricket, and its first three seasons.
SA20 (pronounced 'S-A-Twenty') is a franchise T20 cricket competition in South Africa, owned and operated by Cricket South Africa (CSA) and launched in January 2023. Its distinguishing feature is that all six franchises are owned by IPL franchises — bringing international investment, global T20 expertise and star player networks to South African domestic cricket. The competition quickly established itself as one of the top T20 leagues in the world, attracting top international talent alongside South Africa's best domestic players.
The Six Teams and Their IPL Owners
- Paarl Royals — owned by Rajasthan Royals
- Durban Super Giants — owned by Lucknow Super Giants
- Pretoria Capitals — owned by Delhi Capitals
- Sunrisers Eastern Cape — owned by Sunrisers Hyderabad
- MI Cape Town — owned by Mumbai Indians
- Joburg Super Kings — owned by Chennai Super Kings
SA20 Season One and Two Results
Sunrisers Eastern Cape won the inaugural SA20 title in 2023, defeating the Paarl Royals in the final at Newlands. In Season 2 (2024), Sunrisers Eastern Cape again won the title — becoming the first team to win back-to-back SA20 championships. Marco Jansen, Tristan Stubbs and Quinton de Kock were among the most consistent performers across the first two seasons.
Impact on South African Cricket
SA20 has had a significant positive impact on South African cricket. The IPL investment has raised player salaries in domestic cricket, improved facilities, and kept South Africa's top players at home rather than chasing county cricket contracts in England. Crucially, SA20 has provided a high-intensity T20 environment for South Africa's next generation — players like Stubbs, Rickelton and Jansen improved rapidly through SA20 competition, translating directly into stronger Proteas T20I performances.
Frequently asked questions
Which IPL team owns which SA20 franchise?
Each of the six SA20 franchises is owned by one of the original IPL franchises: Paarl Royals (Rajasthan Royals), Durban Super Giants (Lucknow Super Giants), Pretoria Capitals (Delhi Capitals), Sunrisers Eastern Cape (Sunrisers Hyderabad), MI Cape Town (Mumbai Indians), and Joburg Super Kings (Chennai Super Kings).
How many overseas players can an SA20 team field?
SA20 teams are allowed to field a maximum of five overseas (non-South African) players in their playing XI. Teams typically balance their selections between high-profile international signings for key batting and bowling roles and local South African talent who also meet eligibility criteria for the Proteas.