Being selected to represent South Africa

Jessie Joubert (captain of MSSA's CS: GO team at IeSF's team briefing in Jakarta)

Being selected to represent South Africa in any of the disciplines administrated by Mind Sports South Africa carries with it the same honour an prestige as being selected to the National cricket or rugby team - and since SA is currently ranked 14th in the World for eSports - sometimes more so.

To be awarded National Colours is more than someone dishing out colours, there is a great deal of process and procedure behind such.

When you officially represent South Africa in eSports, you get either National Federation Colours or Protea Colours. When you just name your team as a national team and you have not been properly selected, the media, public at large, etc. do not care what your achievements are. A properly selected team will have their results archived, and the results, if good enough can be used for other awards at government level.

Unfortunately, results obtained by an unofficial team are never included in such events.

The Colours that an official team has been awarded are almost as good as currency. When players are awarded National or Protea Colours, such gamers are also able to apply for sports bursaries.

The Code of Conduct that a team has to follow is an amalgamation of what the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) and the National Federation expects. Obviously the player representing South Africa has to hold him/herself to a higher standard as people tend to judge all South Africans by the few that they actually meet. The Code of Conduct is not onerous, but largely common-sense.

In short, it is how you would expect someone to behave if they were representing you!

All members who are selected to, and join, a national team are given a contract to sign. If the gamer has not yet reached the age of majority, the legal guardian signs the contract. Essentially, if the rules are broken, there may be a financial implication as well as a disciplinary implication. Depending on the severity of the breach, action may be taken by the International Federation concerned, SASCOC, or by the National Federation. As we have seen over recent years, even the Minister of Sport may become involved should the Minister feel that the situation requires his input.

Certainly there are legal implications. Many South Africans seem oblivious to the fact that the government is the owner of the name and all insignia relating to South Africa. National Federations through their status and accreditation are entitled to use such name and certain logos for national teams. While the government might turn a blind eye to the use of the flag, etc. during moments of national fervour (2010 World Cup and Afcon 2012), the government jealously guards the way in which the symbols of South Africa are used. Thus an unofficial team trying to pass itself off as a representative team may find itself having to justify it?s actions to the government. Even National Federations that use the national symbols without proper approval face the ire and wrath of the government.

The MSSA's eSports teams probably get the lion's share due to eSports being more marketable than the other disciplines. Most of the MSSA's eSports teams are given all of their kit free, the teams that travel also have all their accommodation and travelling costs paid on their behalf. Thus, every MSSA team that has attended the WCG and IeSF events since 2005 has only had to worry about their own spending money. The same remains true for the team that the MSSA sent to Namibia. Unfortunately, the MSSA is not a rich body, so the MSSA has to budget carefully, and often has to just "make-do" with what is available. Of course, the greater the membership, the more that can be achieved!

How does SA get professional gamers?

2014 MWEB Protea eSports Team for DotA 2

The short answer is - to pay them!

However, in order to pay gamers to play, there is a lot of 'back-end' work tat has to be done.

For South Africa to have professional gamers, the competitions have to become sustainable by having:

Paying spectators, 

Sponsorships that run from year to year,

A well structured system, 

Gamers that abide by the structure, 

A common vision shared by the majority of those involved.

Mind Sports South africa has over the years developed properly structured systems which start at school level and end at the selection of National teams which then compete on an international level. Through MSSA the following number of eSports players have played against international teams:

Year	Number of gamers
2005	5
2007	8
2008	50*
2009	2
2010	4
2011	4
2012	9
2013	25
2014	13

'Loda' and other members of SK Gaming at the Old edwardian Society in Johannesburg

* In 2008 SK Gaming was brought out to South Africa by MSSA. SK Gaming not only participated in official test matches on behalf of Sweden but also participated in the 2008 African Continental Championships which gave a total of ten teams the opportunity to play against them.

MSSA's dedication in getting teams to play on an international level is unsurpassed by any other organisation in South Africa.

It should however be noted that eNergy eSports, and Bravado both sent a team overseas in 2013, while eNergy sent one overseas in 2014, and Bravado went overseas in 2015 on their own account.

However, the press received by the National eSports Team eclipses the press received by any other. The MWEB Protea eSports Team is well known to every gamer, and in many households in South Africa. Such team is often interviewed by the foreign press. The team is too much loved overseas by its peers and by the shoutcasters alike!

The Protea Badge does wonders for the image and accreditation of the team.

It is only through a concerted effort with all working with MSSA that South Africa will be able to produce true professional gamers.