Benni McCarthy – 31 (1997-2012)
McCarthy debuted on 4 June 1997 and broke Bartlett’s record with a goal against Paraguay in March 2008. He retired from the national team in 2012 after 80 caps, a haul still untouched today.
Shaun Bartlett – 29 (1995-2005)
Bartlett debuted against Lesotho on 26 April 1995 and was part of South Africa’s 1996 AFCON-winning squad. He scored twice at the 1998 World Cup and closed out his international career in September 2005 after a decade in green and gold.
Katlego Mphela – 23 (2005-2013)
Mphela debuted on 26 February 2005 and scored twice on his first appearance. Best remembered for a stunning 30-yard free-kick against Spain at the 2009 Confederations Cup, he made his final Bafana appearance in January 2013.
Bernard Parker – 23 (2007-2015)
Parker debuted on 26 May 2007 and scored his first international goal the following year against Malawi. His best season came in 2013, netting seven goals including four in World Cup qualifying, before his final cap in January 2015.
Phil Masinga – 18 (1992-2001)
Masinga debuted on 7 July 1992, in South Africa’s first official match after readmission to FIFA. His most iconic strike came against Congo, sending Bafana to their first-ever World Cup. He earned his final cap in August 2001.
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Siyabonga Nomvethe – 15 (1999-2012)
Nomvethe debuted on 6 May 1999 and scored South Africa’s first-ever World Cup goal in 2002. His international career stretched 13 years, including a substitute appearance at the 2010 home World Cup, before his final cap in June 2012.
Percy Tau – 15 (2015-present)
Tau debuted on 17 October 2015 in a 2016 African Nations Championship qualifier. He caught Nomvethe’s tally during last year’s World Cup qualifying campaign, though he was not part of South Africa’s 2026 World Cup squad and is currently a free agent.
Sibusiso Zuma – 13 (1998-2008)
Zuma debuted on 3 October 1998 and became one of Bafana’s most dynamic attacking players through the 2000s, earning a FIFA Player of the Year shortlist nomination in 2001. He made his final appearance for the national team in September 2008.
Tokelo Rantie – 12 (2012-2017)
Rantie debuted in June 2012 against Gabon, scoring on his first appearance. A frequent scorer across a five-year international career, he made his final appearance for Bafana in September 2017.
Siphiwe Tshabalala – 12 (2006-2017)
Tshabalala debuted on 14 January 2006 and became a household name with his opening goal at the 2010 home World Cup. His long international career, mostly built on friendly-match goals, ran through to late 2017.
Honourable mentions
Delron Buckley and Teko Modise both retired with 10 goals apiece, while Doctor Khumalo remains a Bafana icon of the 1990s with 9. Among the current crop, Lyle Foster and Teboho Mokoena sit on 10.
Photo: Lefty Shivambu / Gallo Images
