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Damola Durosomo
May. 24, 2019 08:40AM EST
South Africa's midfielder Linda Motlhalo (L) and South Africa's defender Janine Van Wyk celebrate after scoring a goal during the FIFA international friendly football match between South Africa and Jamaica at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban , South Africa on April 7, 2019. - South Africa's Women Team, known as "Banyana Banyana", has qualified for the FIFA Women's World Cup in France 2019. (Photo: ANESH DEBIKY/AFP/Getty Images)

South Africa's National Women's Football Team to Receive Equal Pay

The Banyana Banyana, will receive the same pay as their male counterparts for the first time ever as they head to the FIFA World Cup.

Last November it was announced that South Africa's national women's football Team, the Banyana Banyana, would be heading to the FIFA Women's World Cup for the first time ever. South Africans celebrated the news, but some also pointed out that despite their successes, the female players were still being payed less than their male counterparts.

This is set to change however, as for the first time ever South Africa's women's team and its men's team, Bafana Bafana, will earn the same pay as they head to the World Cup in France and the African Cup of Nations (Afcon) in Egypt, respectively, Times Live reports.

"This will go a long way towards closing the pay gap between the men and women footballers in this country and it is a happy day for South African football‚" said SA Football Association (Safa) president Danny Jordan on Thursday.

According to Time Live, the players will receive R320‚000 ($22,000) each if their teams make it to the Last 16 stage of the World Cup in France and the Afcon finals in Egypt, R520‚000 ($36,000) of they are to reach the quarter-finals‚ R670‚000 ($46,500) for the semi-finals and R920‚000 ($64,00) if they win their tournaments.

READ: Why are Nigeria's Super Falcons Earning Significantly Less Than Their Male Counterparts?

"It is truly amazing as you know that we have been fighting for equality in sport for a long time," team captain Janine van Wyk is quoted as saying. To know that we are going to get the same incentives as Bafana is amazing."

The team had a huge send-off on Thursday and are heading to France to play Spain, China and Germany.

Many are celebrating the news online, with some even arguing that the women should be payed more based on their record and overall performance.





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Earl Sweatshirt Has Been Added to the Cape Town International Jazz Festival 2020 Lineup

Earl Sweatshirt is headed to South Africa.

The Cape Town International Jazz Festival recently announced the last phase of artists on this year's lineup. Among the likes of Judith Sephuma, Sjava, Ezra Collective and a few others, one name many people are excited about is Earl Sweatshirt. The emcee will bring his complex rhymes and stage antics to one of the festival's stages on its first day, March 27.

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Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images

South Africa's Siya Kolisi Wins Personality of the Year Award

The Springbok captain beat out several others to be named the Rugby Union Writers' Club's 2019 Personality of the Year.

Just a few months ago, South Africa's Springboks brought home the win at the 2019 Rugby World Cup after beating England 32-12. Led by team captain Siya Kolisi, the first Black captain of the national rugby team, it was a moment that inspired genuine hope for many South Africans living within a politically uncertain landscape.

More recently, Kolisi has been named the 2019 Personality of the Year by the Rugby Union Writers' Club (RUWC), according to eNCA.

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Stormzy performs during The BRIT Awards 2020 at The O2 Arena. (Photo by Samir Hussein/WireImage) via Getty Images.

Watch Stormzy's Powerful BRIT Awards Performance Featuring Burna Boy

The night saw the British-Ghanaian star run through a medley of songs from his latest album, Heavy Is the Head.

The BRIT Awards 2020, which went down earlier this week, saw the likes of Stormzy take home the Best Male trophy home and Dave win Best Album.

The night also saw Stormzy deliver a stunning performance that featured a medley of songs from his latest album, Heavy Is the Head. The British-Ghanaian star started things out slow with "Don't Forget to Breathe," before popping things off with "Do Better" then turning up the heat with "Wiley Flow."

Stormzy nodded to J Hus, playing a short bit of "Fortune Teller," before being joined onstage by Nigeria's Burna Boy to perform their hit "Own It." Burna Boy got his own moment and performed an energetic rendition of his African Giant favorite "Anybody."

The night was closed off with a powerful message that read: "A lot of time they tell us 'Black people, we too loud.' Know what I'm sayin'? We need to turn it down a little bit. We seem too arrogant. We a little too much for them to handle. Black is beautiful man." The message flashed on a black screen before a moving performance of "Rainfall" backed by his posse.

Watch the full performance below.

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The ornate gilded copper headgear, which features images of Jesus Christ and the Twelve Apostles, was unearthed after refugee-turned-Dutch-citizen Sirak Asfaw contacted Dutch 'art detective' Arthur Brand. (Photo by Jan HENNOP/AFP) (Photo by JAN HENNOP/AFP via Getty Images)

A Stolen 18th Century Ethiopian Crown Has Been Returned from The Netherlands

The crown had been hidden in a Dutch apartment for 20 years.

In one of the latest developments around art repatriation, a stolen 18th century Ethiopian crown that was discovered decades ago in the Netherlands, has been sent back home.

Sirak Asfaw, an Ethiopian who fled to The Netherlands in the '70s, first found the relic in the suitcase of a visitor in 1998, reports BBC Africa. He reportedly protected the item for two decades, before informing Dutch "art crime investigator" Arthur Brand and authorities about his discovery last year.

The crown is one of only 20 in existence and features intricate Biblical depictions of Jesus, God and the Holy Spirit. Historians believe it was given to the church by the warlord Welde Sellase several centuries ago.

Read: Bringing African Artifacts Home

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