Kaizer Chiefs send Bontle Molefe out on loan

Kaizer Chiefs have confirmed that long-serving goalkeeper Bontle Molefe has joined Motsepe Foundation Championship side Leicesterford City on loan for the remainder of the 2025/26 season.

The move, announced on Friday, marks a significant turning point for a player whose career has been a curious case of high potential stalled by limited opportunity. While Amakhosi have been uncharacteristically quiet during this January transfer window—with the loan signing of Xhosa Manyana for the DDC side being their only other notable activity—the decision to let Molefe go suggests a tactical shift in their developmental approach.

The Long Wait For a Debut at Kaizer Chiefs

Molefe’s journey at Naturena is the stuff of academy legend. Promoted to the senior team at just 16 years old, he was fast-tracked as a generational talent. Having spent seven years training with the first team, the now 23-year-old was famously tipped by the legendary Itumeleng Khune as the “next big thing” in South African goalkeeping.

However, the transition from “prodigy” to “professional” has been arduous. Despite his years in the senior setup, Molefe is yet to make his official debut for the Glamour Boys, struggling to break into a matchday squad consistently occupied by more experienced shot-stoppers.

The loan to Leicesterford City—a club based in Mpumalanga—is designed to cure that lack of competitive action. The “Natal Rich Boyz” of the second tier are currently under the guidance of coach Stanford Nkoane and have shown serious ambition this window, recently securing the signature of former Orlando Pirates midfielder Fortune Makaringe.

In an official statement, Kaizer Chiefs explained that the move is part of a broader strategy to toughen up their emerging talent:

“This loan move forms part of the Club’s broader strategy to ensure that its promising emerging talent gains valuable game time and the experience required to thrive at the highest level of the sport. We are confident that this opportunity will help Bontle sharpen his skills further and continue his growth as a professional footballer.”

A Fresh Start For Chiefs Goalie

For Molefe, the mission is clear: prove that the hype of his teenage years was justified. Leicesterford are currently fighting for a competitive finish in the Championship, and the experience of a promotion race could be the “pressure cooker” environment Molefe needs to finally bridge the gap to senior football.

He joins a growing list of Chiefs youngsters, including defender Nkosana Mbuthu, who have made the trek to the Mpumalanga-based outfit this season. If Molefe can replicate the “Khune-esque” distribution and shot-stopping ability he showed in the youth ranks, this loan could be the spark that finally ignites his career.