1996–97 South African Premiership
| Season | 1996–97 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Manning Rangers Inaugural Premiership champions 1st South African title |
| Relegated | Michau Warriors Witbank Aces |
| CAF Champions League | Manning Rangers |
| African Cup Winners' Cup | Kaizer Chiefs (withdrew) Mamelodi Sundowns (replaced Kaizer Chiefs) |
| Matches played | 306 |
| Goals scored | 692 (2.26 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Wilfred Mugeyi Umtata Bush Bucks (22 goals) |
| Biggest home win | Kaizer Chiefs 7–2 Witbank Aces Kaizer Chiefs 5-0 Real Rovers |
| Biggest away win | Witbank Aces 1–7 Hellenic (28 May 1997) |
| Highest scoring | Kaizer Chiefs 7–2 Witbank Aces (9 goals) |
1997–98 → | |
The 1996–97 South African Premiership, known as the 1996–97 Castle Premiership for sponsorship purposes, and also commonly referred to as the PSL after the governing body, was the first season of the newly established top-flight professional football league in South Africa. The league was an 18-team competition established in 1996 by Irvin Khoza, Kaizer Motaung, Raymond Hack and Jomo Sono in conjunction with the South African Football Association and it would run parallel to the European football calendar.