Safa Regional League teams Bizana Pondo City, Maru FC and Old Grey were promoted to the Eastern Cape ABC Motsepe League for the 2025/2026 season after the playoffs at Rhodes University in Makhanda at the weekend.
Royals Hearts, the best-placed loser in all the groups, could get promoted if the Eastern Cape team attending the national playoffs succeeds.
Bizana Pondo City from Alfred Nzo were the first team to be promoted on Saturday. They beat Buffalo City's DRU A Stars twice in Group C.
In the first meeting, the scoreline was 3-0, followed by a 2-0 margin later in the day. Pondo City are the latest addition to the Bizana teams in ABC Motsepe, with Ravens and Sinenkani the others from the past season.
Nelson Mandela Bay's Old Grey topped Group B with six points. They beat Amathole Hotspurs 5-0 in their first game, while their game against Royals Hearts from Joe Gqabi was deemed a walkover.
Officials from Royal Hearts on Sunday said a senior member of the team had mistakenly left Makhanda with the players' playing cards after Saturday's match, so they couldn't provide them to Safa officials for the Old Grey game.
Having beaten Hotspurs 2-0 on Saturday, it means that Royal Hearts finished second in the group and as the best second-placed side out of the three groups.
Maru FC from Sarah Baartman were the last team to be promoted on Sunday afternoon, after topping Group A with a 4-1 win over Fast Eleven from OR Tambo region and a 2-0 victory over Musketeers.
Daily Dispatch