Here are the salaries of the top South African MLS players, including Mbekezeli Mbokazi (pictured), Bongokuhle Hlongwane, and others, as revealed by the Major League Soccer Players Association’s salary guide. Picture: Geoff Stellfox/Getty Images/AFP
Image: Geoff Stellfox/Getty Images/AFP
The Major League Soccer Players Association (MLSPA) has released its salary guide, and the South Africans on the list make for interesting reading, especially since Mbekezeli Mbokazi is not the highest earner among the players from the Rainbow Nation.
It’s refreshing to take a look through the MLSPA salary guide (mlsplayers.org), as it outlines the players’ current annualised base salary as well as their annualised average guaranteed compensation.
The second figure includes their base salary as well as all signing and other bonuses.
This means members of the public are privy to a realistic figure.
Mbokazi earns a base salary of $593,000 (R9.91m) per year at Chicago Fire, while his guaranteed compensation is $655,620 (R10.96m).
The 20-year-old certainly has a bright future ahead of him.
The biggest earner among the SA players in the MLS, though, is Bongokuhle Hlongwane, who plies his trade for Minnesota United.
His base annual salary is $1,000,000 (R16.71m) with a guaranteed compensation of $1,142,500 (R19.09m).
Representing Toronto FC is Cassius Mailula, who earns a base of $350,000 (R5.84m) and a guaranteed compensation of $366,003 (R6.11m).
Philadelphia Union’s Olwethu Makhanya also banks a handy package with a $300,000 (R5.01m) base and a $338,875 (R5.66) guaranteed compensation.
Puso Dithejane comes in next with his annual salary of $250,000 (R4.17m) for Chicago Fire, with his guaranteed compensation standing at $283,252 (R4.73m).
Meanwhile, Tsiki Ntsabeleng on the books for FC Dallas makes $230,000 (R3.84m) annually $257,000 (R4.29m).