Five richest SA sportspeople: One iconic Springbok cracks the list
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The five richest South African sportspeople, by net worth, included one legendary Springbok. Who else cracks the top list, and where does Ernie Els figure?
Richest South African sportspeople headed up by iconic golfers
Gary Player – R4.5 Billion
Gary Player won nine majors in his illustrious career. Considered one of the greats of the sport, Player is one of only five golfers to scoop all four of the most important golfing honours. He’s in good company; the others are Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus and the GOAT Tiger Woods. The now-89-year-old has also been involved in course design and apparel through the years.
Ernie Els – R1.5 Billion
The Big Easy, affectionately known as such because of his smooth swing, made an exceedingly difficult sport look super simple. He collected four major titles and was the best player on the planet for a while. Now he takes it easy making wine for his own label and who can blame him?
Jacques Kallis – R980 Million
Arguably the greatest cricketer the world has ever seen, Jacques Kallis isn’t far from cracking billionaire status. Like Ernie Els, Kallis made his craft look ridiculously easy. The stats on the pitch don’t lie; he made 13,289 test runs at an average of 55.4 while also collecting 292 wickets in that format. He excelled in all formats though, the sign of a true great. Proteas’ fans got accustomed to the sight of Kallis raising his bat after yet another majestic century and we could never grow tired of that languid cover drive.
‘Jakes’ is still involved in cricket as a batting consultant and continues to rope in cash from endorsement deals across industries.
Bryan Habana – R614 Million
The 2007 Rugby World Cup winner cracks the nod in most pundits’ best all-time XV. Initially a centre at the provincial level, Habana was transformed into a try-machine on the wings, scoring 67 times for South Africa. Not only was the lightning-quick Habana a game-changer who could create magic out of nothing, but he was also a rock-solid performer and a coach’s dream. Never shy to do his defensive duties, Habana is the third-most capped Springbok in history with 124 appearances in the famous green and gold.
Now he’s a commentator and pundit.
Steven Pienaar – R523 Million
One of South Africa’s finest-ever footballing exports, playmaker Pienaar strutted his stuff for massive European clubs like Ajax Amsterdam, Borussia Dortmund, Tottenham Hotspur and Everton. He made 27 appearances in the illustrious UEFA Champions League too. With half a billion bucks to his name, Stevie P has done okay for himself.
Do any of these names surprise you?
*Net worth figures via Leeroy Mukotekwa of the South African.
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