The South African Football Association, which oversees the country's national football teams, is using blockchain technology to create new forms of fan participation around Bafana Bafana through a token launched on the Socios.com platform.
Introduced in May, the $SAFA Fan Token places the federation alongside national teams including Argentina, Portugal and Italy that have adopted digital tokens as part of broader fan engagement efforts. The token operates on Chiliz Chain, a blockchain network developed for sports and entertainment applications.
Supporters can obtain the token through the Socios.com app by opening and verifying an account, purchasing CHZ, the native cryptocurrency of Chiliz, and exchanging it for $SAFA tokens. Once in an in-app wallet, the tokens can be used to participate in polls, access content, redeem merchandise and unlock matchday experiences. They can also be traded on the Socios marketplace and compatible cryptocurrency exchanges.
“This partnership represents a new chapter in SAFA’s journey into Web3, blockchain and Fan Tokens, to reward exclusive experiences to our passionate fans not only across South Africa but also as we grow our fan base globally,” SAFA CEO Lydia Monyepao said at the launch. “Through this collaboration, we are exploring innovative ways for fans to be part of the team’s global journey.”
According to Mariola Montoya, senior public relations and communications manager at Chiliz, 840,000 $SAFA tokens have already been acquired. She told TechCabal that nearly 248,000 users across the Socios platform have participated in polls and more than 37,000 have redeemed rewards.
Bitexen South Africa, a digital asset platform that entered the South African market in May, is supporting the initiative. The company is positioning itself beyond cryptocurrency trading by focusing on tokenization infrastructure, digital asset issuance, blockchain payments and fan token ecosystems.
Mark Diuga, chief executive officer of Bitexen South Africa, said sports communities could become an important digital asset.
“The most valuable asset a club owns may not be its stadium, players, or broadcast rights. It may be the community that has formed around it,” he said. “The question is whether sport is ready to start treating that community like the strategic asset it really is.”
SAFA and Chiliz have not disclosed revenue expectations for the partnership. Montoya said agreements on the platform operate under revenue sharing arrangements whose terms vary according to each organization.
“Our partnerships are based on a revenue-sharing model, with the allocation of revenues determined by the specific terms and objectives of each agreement,” she said.
Socios, a digital fan engagement platform that has signed more than 170 partnerships since 2018, says it has returned more than $700 million to sports organizations. Football entities including FC Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and the Argentine Football Association have adopted fan tokens as a way to create additional revenue sources and maintain engagement outside matchdays.
The model has also faced criticism because token prices can fluctuate, encouraging speculative trading. Montoya said the products are intended to provide access and participation rather than serve as investment instruments.
“Fan Tokens are utility tokens designed to enhance the supporter experience,” she said. “Their primary purpose is to give fans access to engagement opportunities such as polls, rewards, experiences and exclusive content.”
