The new African Football League (AFL) will be the fifth CAF club competition that South African sides have competed in since their first entrance into continental football in 1993.
Mamelodi Sundowns will represent the country in the lucrative competition that will only feature eight teams in its inaugural year but is expected to grow in the seasons to come.
They have, in many ways, been the shining light on the continent for South Africa in the last two decades, so deserve their shot at the R80-million first prize.
Sundowns debut against Angolan side Petro Atletico in a two-legged quarterfinal that starts on Saturday, playing away in Luanda first before returning home for the second leg on Wednesday.
We take a look at the other competitions South African clubs have competed in.
CAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Winners: Orlando Pirates (1995), Mamelodi Sundowns (2016)
Record: P351 W171 D91 L89 GF536 GA310
Sundowns have been by far and away the side to represent South Africa the most in the elite African competition having played 145 of their 351 games over 17 seasons of competing. Orlando Pirates are the second most frequent competitors with 86 games over 12 campaigns, while Kaizer Chiefs are third with 40 matches in six participations. In all, 11 South African clubs have featured in the Champions League, Chiefs the first in 1993 and the newest entrant Cape Town City last season. Pirates, Sundowns and Chiefs have all also lost in the final.
CAF CONFEDERATION CUP
Winners: None
Record: P227 W98 D56 L73 GF344 GA246
There has never been a South African winner of Africa’s secondary club competition that was first introduced in 2004, though Pirates (twice) and SuperSport United have twice made the final without success. SuperSport have returned this season for the first time in five years and have made it through to the group stages, along with Sekhukhune United. The latter are on debut and the 17th South African club to compete down the years.
CAF AFRICAN CUP WINNERS’ CUP
Winners: Kaizer Chiefs (2001)
Record: P61 W35 D14 L12 GF127 GA67
The now defunct competition was for the cup winners in each African nation and saw nine South African teams compete before it was discontinued in 2003. Chiefs won the title two years before that, defeating InterClube from Angola in the two-legged final 2-1 on aggregate. They were the only South African team to make the final, though Jomo Cosmos (1993) and Pirates (1999) reached the semis.
CAF CUP
Winners: None
Record: P25 W10 D6 L9 GF35 GA24
The CAF Cup was combined with the Cup Winners’ Cup to form the Confederation Cup, so is also no longer in existence, not that it was a particularly popular tournament for South African clubs. It was for the league runners-up, but no-one really too to it with much gusto, and in five of the six years they competed, clubs went out in the second round. Only Ajax Cape Town made the quarterfinals in 2001. South Africa had no entrants at all in 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2002.