Wellington, 2 August 2023. Hildah Magaia struck in the 67th minute and South Africa led Italy at a Women's World Cup. Deep into stoppage time she turned provider, crossing for Thembi Kgatlana's winner, a 3-2 victory that sent Banyana Banyana into the round of 16 for the first time.
| Hildah Magaia | At a glance |
|---|---|
| Born | 16 December 1994, Dennilton, South Africa |
| Position | Striker |
| Club | Al-Ittihad, Saudi Women's Premier League (from September 2026) |
| National team | South Africa, debut 2018 |
| World Cup 2023 | Goals against Sweden and Italy, round of 16 |
| Major title | WAFCON 2022 winner and top scorer |
| Salary | Not publicly disclosed |
Hildah Magaia salary: what is actually known
No figure exists.
None of her clubs, from Sweden to Saudi Arabia, has published what it pays her, and neither Magaia nor her representatives have put a number in the public domain, so any website quoting a precise Hildah Magaia salary is guessing. Al-Ittihad announced her arrival on a Friday afternoon in September, iDiski Times reported, without disclosing the length of the deal.
What is on record is national team money. Ahead of the 2023 World Cup, gsport reported that each Banyana player received R565,000 described as a FIFA appearance fee. On top came a R230,000 bonus funded through the Motsepe Foundation. That followed a public stand-off between the players and SAFA before the squad flew out. For a wider comparison, see our breakdown of which Banyana Banyana players earn the most.
From Dennilton to the world
Her route was slow. She began at the University of Pretoria's women's side, Tuks Ladies, then spent 2017 to 2020 at Tshwane University of Technology, where she is credited with 50 goals and lists a 2018 Sasol League national title, plus the SAFA Women's League top scorer and player of the season awards for 2019-20.
Then the passport filled up.
Morön BK in Sweden came in 2021, then Sejong Sportstoto in South Korea. Mazatlán in Mexico followed, with a 2024 loan to Kansas City Current in the NWSL, and Club Tijuana in 2025. Spain was supposed to be the next big step. She joined Deportivo de La Coruña in Liga F in January 2026. Farpost reported that she made only six appearances before both parties agreed to end the contract in June. “Today, I say goodbye with a heart full of gratitude and mixed emotions,” she wrote on Instagram.
Three months later the Jeddah club came calling.
The breadwinner at the World Cup
Magaia had already scored South Africa's first goal of the tournament against Sweden. An injury then forced her off, and Banyana lost 2-1 without her.
She was back for Italy. Afterwards she told Sowetan: “I never, ever imagined myself playing at the World Cup, so it's an emotional one for me.”
The nickname stuck that week. Her teammates and coach, she explained, had told her they needed “bread”, which is why she kept going on the field even though it was hard, and the line about the breadwinner became the story of Banyana's run until the Netherlands ended it in the last 16 in Sydney.
Before and after Wellington
A year earlier she had been the WAFCON 2022 top scorer. She hit the group winner against Nigeria and both goals in the 2-1 final against Morocco, South Africa's first continental title. That run sits at the heart of any list of Banyana Banyana's all-time top goal scorers. Desiree Ellis has leaned on her ever since.
Banyana status in 2025 and 2026
She has stayed in the squad.
At the delayed WAFCON 2024 in Morocco, Magaia scored the third goal in a 4-0 win over Mali in Oujda on 14 July 2025. Karabo Dhlamini's long pass sent her through. Nigerian readers will remember the semi-final in Casablanca on 22 July 2025. She was brought down for the penalty that Linda Motlhalo converted, only for the Super Falcons to win 2-1 late. The 2026 edition was harder still. Banyana lost their opener to Tanzania, then trailed Ivory Coast 2-0. Magaia equalised in the ninth minute of added time, EWN reported, after an earlier effort had been ruled offside. A 1-0 win over Burkina Faso followed. Hosts Morocco then won the quarter-final 2-1 in Rabat on 8 August. That pushed South Africa towards the World Cup play-offs.
Our view
For Nigerian fans, Magaia is the South African forward who keeps turning up in big games against the Super Falcons. Saudi Arabia is her sixth country abroad. At 31, the move to Jeddah looks less like a new adventure than a search for regular minutes before the play-offs that decide whether Banyana reach Brazil in 2027, because Ellis has few forwards who settle matches the way she does.
Her pay will probably stay private. Her goals will not.
This article was most recently revised and updated 21 seconds ago
