{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2025}} {{Use South African English|date=January 2025}} {{Infobox football league season |competition=National Professional Soccer League | image = | pixels = |season = 1981 |winners = Kaizer Chiefs |relegated = Lusitano, Pilkington United Bros, Stilfontein Big XI |league topscorer= |biggest home win= |biggest away win= |highest scoring = |matches = |total goals = |longest wins = |longest unbeaten= |longest winless = |longest losses = |highest attendance= |lowest attendance= |average attendance= |prevseason = 1980 |nextseason = 1982 |updated = }}
The '''1981 National Professional Soccer League''' was the fourth season of the multi-racial South African National Professional Soccer League (NPSL). The league was a merger of the previous NPSL, which due to the country's apartheid policies were for black teams only, and the National Football League, for white teams only.
The other professional league, the non-racial Federation Professional League, continued to function independently.
It was won by Kaizer Chiefs, who finished a point ahead of defending champions Highlands Park. Chiefs also won the Mainstay Cup, the BP Top 8 and the Sales House Champion of Champions.<ref>{{Cite web |title=South Africa 1981 |url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesz/zaf81.html |access-date=2025-01-24 |website=www.rsssf.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=History |url=https://www.kaizerchiefs.com/club/history/ |access-date=2025-01-24 |website=www.kaizerchiefs.com |language=en}}</ref> The 1981 Chiefs side is regarded as one of the best in the country's history.<ref>{{Cite web |last=KickOff |title=The best teams ever in South Africa |url=https://www.snl24.com/kickoff/sanews/premiership/kaizer-chiefs/the-best-teams-ever-in-south-africa-20130916 |access-date=2025-01-24 |website=Kickoff |language=en-US}}</ref>
{{#invoke:Sports table|main|style=WDL
|winpoints=2
|team1=KAI|name_KAI=Kaizer Chiefs |win_KAI=23 |draw_KAI=8 |loss_KAI=3 |gf_KAI=64 |ga_KAI=22 |team2=HIG|name_HIG=Highlands Park |win_HIG=21 |draw_HIG=11 |loss_HIG=2 |gf_HIG=63 |ga_HIG=16 |team3=ARC|name_ARC=Arcadia Shepherds |win_ARC=20 |draw_ARC=9 |loss_ARC=5 |gf_ARC=76 |ga_ARC=40 |team4=HEL|name_HEL=Hellenic |win_HEL=19 |draw_HEL=8 |loss_HEL=7 |gf_HEL=73 |ga_HEL=34 |team5=WTS|name_WTS=Wits University |win_WTS=16 |draw_WTS=12 |loss_WTS=6 |gf_WTS=56 |ga_WTS=34 |team6=WIT|name_WIT=Witbank Black Aces |win_WIT=14 |draw_WIT=10 |loss_WIT=10 |gf_WIT=53 |ga_WIT=34 |team7=PIR|name_PIR=Orlando Pirates |win_PIR=13 |draw_PIR=12 |loss_PIR=9 |gf_PIR=45 |ga_PIR=39 |team8=SWA|name_SWA=Moroka Swallows |win_SWA=13 |draw_SWA=12 |loss_SWA=9 |gf_SWA=59 |ga_SWA=51 |team9=DUR|name_DUR=Durban City |win_DUR=12 |draw_DUR=9 |loss_DUR=13 |gf_DUR=60 |ga_DUR=60 |team10=BEN|name_BEN=Benoni United |win_BEN=11 |draw_BEN=9 |loss_BEN=14 |gf_BEN=48 |ga_BEN=48 |team11=DYN|name_DYN=Dynamos |win_DYN=9 |draw_DYN=12 |loss_DYN=13 |gf_DYN=48 |ga_DYN=45 |team12=MAM|name_MAM=Mamelodi United |win_MAM=10 |draw_MAM=10 |loss_MAM=14 |gf_MAM=32 |ga_MAM=37 |team13=AFR|name_AFR=African Wanderers |win_AFR=8 |draw_AFR=11 |loss_AFR=15 |gf_AFR=34 |ga_AFR=53 |team14=LEI|name_LEI=Leicester City |win_LEI=7 |draw_LEI=11 |loss_LEI=16 |gf_LEI=39 |ga_LEI=55 |team15=AMA|name_AMA=AmaZulu |win_AMA=8 |draw_AMA=7 |loss_AMA=19 |gf_AMA=29 |ga_AMA=43 |team16=LUS|name_LUS=Lusitano |win_LUS=5 |draw_LUS=10 |loss_LUS=19 |gf_LUS=39 |ga_LUS=82 |team17=PIL|name_PIL=Pilkington United Bros |win_PIL=5 |draw_PIL=10 |loss_PIL=19 |gf_PIL=33 |ga_PIL=71 |team18=STI|name_STI=Stilfontein Big XI |win_STI=2 |draw_STI=8 |loss_STI=24 |gf_STI=34 |ga_STI=106
|status_LUS=R |status_PIL=R |status_STI=R
|update=complete |source=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesz/zaf81.html }}
==References== {{reflist}}
{{South African soccer seasons}}
1981 Category:1981 in South African sport Category:1980–81 in African association football leagues