Who is the richest female footballer in Africa? African women’s football wasn’t a thing, especially because of their male counterparts. But now, female African players are earning huge salaries, getting global endorsements, and breaking records in top leagues in Europe, the United States, and the Middle East.
Today, the highest-paid African women footballers now make a salary of between $100,000 and $550,000 annually. Asisat Oshoala, Thembi Kgatlana, and Barbra Banda are the African female soccer stars who now lead a generation that is transforming the business of women’s sport.
Top 10 Highest-Paid African Women Footballers in 2025
In those days, Women’s Football Leagues was just a part-time contract. But they now offer full professional wages. With the kind of investments going into the NWSL (U.S.), the Women’s Super League (England), France’s D1 Féminine, and Saudi Arabia’s Women’s Premier League, the doors have now been widely opened for African players.
Similarly, global brands like Adidas, Puma, and Pepsi elevated players into international marketers via sponsorship deals. Of course, the FIFA Women’s World Cup and the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) contributed to their visibility. Those competitions boosted their commercial appeal and national pride.
How the Rankings Were Compiled
This list considers:
- Annual salaries (base pay and bonuses)
- Club contracts and transfer values
- Endorsement income and sponsorships
- Sporting influence and achievements
The earnings mentioned here are based on verified or industry-reported figures for this year.
Chiamaka Nnadozie (Nigeria) — $100,000
Nigeria’s first-choice goalkeeper, Chiamaka Nnadozie, continues to redefine her position. At just 25, she has established herself among the world’s elite after moving from Rivers Angels to Paris FC and now Brighton & Hove Albion in England’s Women’s Super League.
In 2025, she signed a four-year deal worth around $100,000 annually, including bonuses for clean sheets and team success. Her composure and penalty-saving heroics at the 2023 World Cup and 2025 WAFCON earned her nominations for the Ballon d’Or Féminin and Yachine Trophy.
Endorsements with Adidas and other sports brands raise her net worth to roughly $500,000.
Jennifer Echegini (Nigeria) — $100,000
Midfielder Jennifer Echegini is one of Africa’s brightest young stars. After shining at Florida State University, she won the MAC Hermann Trophy in 2023 before joining Juventus, where she was named Serie A’s Best Young Player.
Her transfer to Paris Saint-Germain in 2025 put her in a new pay bracket, with an annual salary of $100,000, including performance bonuses. Nobody gets this kind of brand presence and does not become a player to watch.
Echegini’s estimated net worth is placed at $400,000. Of course, sponsorship deals are one of the reasons for that figure.
Ajara Nchout Njoya (Cameroon) — $250,000
This Cameroonian veteran has become the face of women’s football in her country. Following spells in Europe, she joined Al Qadsiah in Saudi Arabia, with a contract extension, which will see her through 2026, and secured a salary of $250,000 annually.
Nchout led Cameroon to WAFCON finals and scored one of the 2019 World Cup’s most memorable goals. With a net worth estimated at $1.5 million, there’s no way that kind of money won’t make her an advocate for women’s football across Africa.
Rasheedat Ajibade (Nigeria) — $300,000
Known as “Rash,” Rasheedat Ajibade represents Nigeria’s new wave of leadership and flair. After a successful spell with Atlético Madrid, she moved to Paris Saint-Germain in 2025 on a two-year deal worth $300,000 annually, plus incentives.
Ajibade’s technical brilliance and charisma have made her a fan favorite. She captained the Super Falcons to WAFCON glory and was named the 2024 Player of the Tournament. Her estimated net worth is around $800,000, supported by endorsements and personal initiatives promoting youth sports in Nigeria.
Temwa Chawinga (Malawi) — $400,000
The Malawian forward Temwa Chawinga has turned her remarkable scoring ability into financial success. Playing for Kansas City Current in the NWSL, she earned the Golden Boot and MVP titles in 2024, becoming the first non-European to top the IFFHS global scoring chart with 63 goals in a single year.
She recently renewed a three-year deal that’ll extend to 2028, and that deal pays $400,000 annually, making her one of the highest earners in U.S. women’s football.
Her estimated net worth: $1 million.
Tabitha Chawinga (Malawi) — $450,000
Older sister Tabitha Chawinga, captain of Malawi’s national team, is equally dominant. Now with Olympique Lyonnais, she commands a salary of $450,000 per year and serves as one of the club’s key forwards.
Tabitha is the first Malawian to play in the UEFA Women’s Champions League and the first African woman to win the Serie A Golden Boot two years ago in 2023. With a net worth of around $1 million, women’s football in Southern Africa will always see her as their pioneer.
Asisat Oshoala (Nigeria) — $500,000
If you’re looking for a player to use as a benchmark for African excellence, then iconic Asisat Oshoala is the one. The six-time CAF Women’s Player of the Year has conquered European football with Barcelona. She won two UEFA Women’s Champions League titles before moving to Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia in 2025.
The two-year deal she signed is worth $500,000 annually, increasing her market value. Off the pitch, Oshoala’s partnerships with Pepsi and Puma have boosted her net worth to $3.2 million.
Racheal Kundananji (Zambia) — $500,000
Zambia’s Racheal Kundananji made global headlines in 2024 when she joined Bay FC for a record-breaking $860,000 transfer fee, becoming the most expensive female footballer in history.
Her four-year deal brings in $500,000 per season, excluding performance bonuses. She remains one of the NWSL’s most valuable players even at the age of 25.
Kundananji’s estimated net worth is $2 million, and her story symbolizes how African women can now command historic transfer values.
Barbra Banda (Zambia) — $525,000
Zambian captain Barbra Banda, no doubt, deserves to take this position on this list. Following a $740,000 transfer to Orlando Pride in 2024, she became the NWSL’s second-most expensive signing.
From her contract, she gets paid $525,000 annually, making her one of the world’s top earners. Banda helped Orlando Pride clinch the 2024 NWSL Championship, and she remains a consistent Ballon d’Or Féminin contender.
Her net worth is estimated at $1.5 million as a result of her growing global recognition.
Thembi Kgatlana (South Africa) — $550,000
South Africa’s Thembi Kgatlana tops the 2025 list as Africa’s richest female footballer. The electric forward signed a three-year contract with Tigres UANL in Mexico’s Liga MX Femenil, earning $550,000 per year — the highest salary for any African woman in football.
In Kgatlana’s career, she has won African Player of the Year (2018), led Banyana Banyana to WAFCON triumph, and scored South Africa’s first-ever World Cup goal in 2019.
Her net worth of $2.5 million comes from sponsorships and international acclaim.
Article updated 1 day ago. Content is written and modified by multiple authors.
