With Mbekezeli Mbokazi set to seal his move to Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer (MLS), he will become the 19th South African to feature in the competition since its first season in 1996.
That does not include the plethora of players who starred in the United States in the 1960s and 70s, such as Jomo Sono, Kaizer Motaung and Ace Ntsoelengoe.
Mbokazi is a hugely exciting prospect for South African football and many had expected him to move to a top five league in Europe.
Maybe he will get there one day, but for now is set to continue the growing tradition of players from the country in the MLS.
Here is a look back at all those who have featured in the league over the past three decades.
Stephen Armstrong
Armstrong was born in England but raised in Cape Town. The striker had spells with DC United, Kansas City Wizards and Columbus Crew between 2001 and 2005.
Derek Backman
Midfielder Backman played for Arcadia Shepherds in South Africa before moving to the US in the early 1980s to attend college. He had two seasons with Tampa Bay Mutiny.
One of Bafana Bafana’s greatest players, Bartlett played for two MLS clubs in the early years of the competition, turning out for Colorado Rapids and then the New York-based MetroStars, who are the New York Red Bulls today.
The midfielder joined new franchise St Louis City in 2023 from Kaizer Chiefs, but battled for game-time and after a loan back at the AmaKhosi last season, is now in Vietnam at Thep Xanh Nam Dinh. He made 23 appearances and scored one goal for St Louis.
Borman was a left-back/left-winger who came through the youth system at Santos but played at New York Red Bulls and Toronto FC between 2008-2011.
Richard Farrer
Born in Johannesburg, Farrer attended college in the USA and played amateur football there before seven seasons at Dallas Burn.
After a slow start he has become something a of a favourite at Minnesota United, who he joined in 2022. He has made 141 appearances for them and scored 35 goals, not bad for aa winger. His best season was 2024.
Doctor Khumalo
Khumalo had a two-year stay in the MLS just as the competition formed when he joined Columbus Crew. He scored five goals in 43 appearances before returning to Kaizer Chiefs.
Thabiso Khumalo
A pupil at the Safa School of Excellence, Thabiso was a right-sided midfielder who moved to the US when he was 16 and played for several amateur teams before eventually reaching the MLS with DC United in the 2009-10 season.
The former Sundowns forward moved to Canadian side Toronto, who play in the MLS, in 2023 and is still on their books but barely used. He has had loans to Wydad Casablanca and Belgian second-tier side Kortrijk, where he is currently.
The 21-year-old moved from Stellenbosch FC to Philadelphia Union in 2023 but only really became a first team option when Bradley Carnell became coach in 2025. He has been a steady performer for them in their successful season.
Ivan McKinley
McKinley had four MLS clubs in seven years, namely Tampa Bay Mutiny, New England Revolution, Miami Fusion and DC United between 1996 and 2002.
Durban-born Mfeka moved to the US to attend college and played one MLS game for San Jose Earthquakes in 2017.
The former SuperSport United midfielder signed for FC Cincinnati in 2020 but battled for game-time and left after 18 months in the US.
The well-travelled Nhelko was a product of Jomo Cosmos and would go on to play in Norway and Sweden, with MLS side FC Dallas sandwiched in between.
The current Sundowns winger joined Dallas in 2022 and was mostly a bench player in and out of the side for three and a half years before a loan move to Sundowns at the start of the 2025/26 season. He is due to head back to Dallan in June 2026.
The defender was a product of the ASD Academy and was signed by Canadian MLS side Vancouver Whitecaps in 2013.
Somma saw his promising career cut short by a knee injury in 2013 while at English side Leeds United, where he was a regular goalscorer. Born in Johannesburg, his family moved to the US when he was 12 and, after playing college soccer, he was signed by San Jose Earthquakes in 2008 before heading to Leeds on free transfer.
