How have promoted sides fared in the Betway Premiership in the PSL era?

There have been 46 teams promoted to the Betway Premiership since the formation of the Premier Soccer League in the 1996/97 season and 13 of those have gone straight back down to the second tier.

That means a little over one in four of the sides who come up go straight back down, a fate Durban City and orbit College will be desperate to avoid in this campaign, which kicks-off on Saturday.

Jomo Cosmos have had the worst of it, promoted three times between 2010 and 2015, and relegated bottom of the league on each occasion.

AmaZulu have also come up and gone straight back down on two occasions. A 47th team, Thanda Royal Zulu, were promoted in the 2017/18 campaign but sold their status immediately to Usuthu and never competed again in the elite league.

Conversely, Seven Stars (1998/99) and Free State Stars (2007/08) have been the most successful promoted teams, finishing fifth in their season after promotion. No club has managed to end the campaign higher following their elevation.

Ten of the 46 clubs who have come up finished in the top eight, a rare 22 per cent, or one in five.

Five clubs have finished in the play-off positions having been promoted, with three managing to salvage their topflight status and two heading back to the second-tier.

Only twice before have two promoted sides finished in the bottom two places in the Betway Premiership – the first in 2009/10 when Jomo Cosmos were in 16th and Mpumalanga Black Aces in 15th, though the latter survived the relegation play-offs.

In 2016/17, Baroka FC (15th) also survived the play-offs) but Highlands Park (16th) were automatically relegated.

The most recent promoted side before this coming season were Magesi FC, who claimed the Carling Knockout trophy in their maiden topflight campaign and ended 13th in the league thanks to a late surge in results under coach Owen da Gama, who has since departed.

HOW PROMOTED TEAMS HAVE FARED IN THE PSL ERA

The league finish for promoted teams in their first season in the topflight.

18-TEAM LEAGUE

1997/98: African Wanderers (17th, Relegated), Santos (16th)

1998/99: Dynamos (17th, Relegated), Seven Stars (5th)

1999/00: African Wanderers (16th), Tembisa Classic (9th)

2000/01: Lamontville Golden Arrows (9th), Ria Stars (7th)

2001/02: AmaZulu (17th, Relegated), Black Leopards (8th)

16-TEAM LEAGUE

2002/03: African Wanderers (16th, Relegated), Dynamos (7th)

2003/04: AmaZulu (16th, Relegated), Silver Stars (11th)

2004/05: Bloemfontein Celtic (8th), Umtata Bush Bucks (11th)

2005/06: Free State Stars (16th, Relegated), Tembisa Classic (14th)

2006/07: Benoni Premier United (14th), Wits University (13th)

2007/08: Free State Stars (5th)

2008/09: Bay United (16th, Relegated), Maritzburg United (12th)

2009/10: Jomo Cosmos (16th, Relegated), Mpumalanga Black Aces (15th, Survived Play-Offs)

2010/11: Vasco da Gama (15th, Relegated via Play-Offs)

2011/12: Black Leopards (14th), Jomo Cosmos (16th, Relegated)

2012/13: Chippa United (15th, Relegated via Play-Offs), University of Pretoria (8th)

2013/14: Mpumalanga Black Aces (7th), Polokwane City (15th, Survived Play-Offs)

2014/15: Chippa United (14th)

2015/16: Jomo Cosmos (16th, Relegated), Lamontville Golden Arrows (9th)

2016/17: Baroka FC (15th, Survived Play-Offs), Highlands Park (16th)

2017/18: Thanda Royal Zulu (sold status to AmaZulu)

2018/19: Black Leopards (13th), Highlands Park (7th)

2019/20: Stellenbosch FC (10th)

2020/21: Moroka Swallows (6th)

2021/22: Sekhukhune United (11th)

2022/23: Richards Bay (13th)

2023/24: Cape Town Spurs (16th, Relegated), Polokwane City (8th)

2024/25: Magesi FC (13th)