Who has retired from playing professional cricket ahead of the 2025-26 domestic season in South Africa?
More players will be added to this list in late April and early May.
1. Tian Koekemoer – 30 years old
Northern Cape all-rounder Tian Koekemoer retired in May 2025.
Koekemoer’s first-class career started with Eastern Province in 2015 and ended with Northern Cape in 2025. He scored four first-class centuries and 17 half-tons. His highest first-class score was 130 for Eastern Province. He also took two five-wicket innings hauls for EP. He also played for the Tuskers and Warriors.
“Cricket – after 26 years of giving you my all as a player, it’s time to say goodbye. Not because I stopped loving you. But because life is calling me to love something else – my family, my future, my legacy,” Koekemoer wrote on social media.
“I leave you with a full heart. I leave with scars, with stories, and with deep gratitude. I leave proud. I leave changed. You were never just a sport. You were my teacher. You were my fight. You were my first love. Thank you for the life. Thank you for the lessons. Thank you for the purpose.”
2. Jonathan Vandiar – 35 years old
Jonathan Vandiar.
Northern Cape batsman Jonathan Vandiar retired in May 2025.
Vandiar’s first-class career spanned 115 matches from 2007 to 2024. His final professional fixture was for Northern Cape in the One-Day Cup, division two, against Mpumalanga in March 2025.
Vandiar also played for the Lions, Dolphins, Titans, Knights, Tuskers and South Africa A – and hit 11 first-class, seven List A and one T20 century.
He was included in the Royal Challengers Bangalore’s squad for the 2011 Indian Premier League, but did not play a match.
Vandiar played in two editions of the Champions League Twenty20 – first for the Lions and later for the Dolphins.
3. Yaseen Vallie – 35 years old
Yaseen Vallie.
Western Province batsman Yaseen Vallie retired in May 2025.
Vallie’s first-class career started in 2009. He played 56 first-class fixtures for Western Province, 51 for the Warriors, 32 for the Cape Cobras and three for Border.
He hit 16 first-class centuries, with a highest score of 167 for the Cobras against the Titans in 2011. Vallie also played 124 List A and 59 T20 matches – and hit one limited-overs century.
“I have decided this is the time is right to retire from professional cricket. I have really enjoyed the years of experience and the memories made. But, yes, now is the right time to step away from playing at this level,” Vallie told Club Cricket SA.
“From here, I am looking to give back and help a game that has served me for many years.”
4. Sarel Erwee – 35 years old
Sarel Erwee.
Proteas and Dolphins batsman Sarel Erwee retired in April 2025.
Erwee debuted in first-class cricket in 2008 and collected 7,453 runs at an average of 37, including 13 centuries and 44 half-tons during a 17-year career.
“It has been a tricky two years for me, where I haven’t really played much cricket. Cricket has been my life. It has given me everything and I have given it everything. It’s a game I truly love. A lot of people like cricket, but I really love cricket,” Erwee told Club Cricket SA.
“I’m a student of the game and, unfortunately over the last two years, I fell out of love for the game. There are a lot of circumstances around that. I don’t want to remember cricket as a burden and I don’t want to take that burden into my family.
“I think it was also the right time to move on with the opportunities I have outside of cricket and with the Dolphins having some young and exciting talent coming through the ranks. I couldn’t keep playing and throwing away opportunities for one or two more years of cricket.
“I have a future away from the game that I need to pursue and it was the right time. It wasn’t easy, but I have the faith that it was the right time to walk away and give everything to my family, who have been by my side throughout my cricket journey.”
5. Kelly Smuts – 35 years old
Kelly Smuts.
South Western Districts all-rounder Kelly Smuts retired in April 2025.
Smuts collected 124 first-class caps from 2009 to 2025. He played for SWD, the Warriors and Northern Cape – and collected 15 centuries and six five-wicket hauls.
“I decided at the start of the 2024-25 season that it was going to be my last. I didn’t announce it at the time because I didn’t want the season to be about me – I don’t like that limelight,” Smuts told the Full Quota Podcast.
“I had a decent previous season with SWD. It wasn’t amazing – it wasn’t bad. It was time. I knew my heart wasn’t fully in it anymore.
“Winning the Africa T20 Cup with Eastern Province is a highlight of my career. Hitting a century for the Warriors on four-day debut was cool. Hit a half-ton for the Warriors on T20 debut was cool.
“My proudest career highlight is when I scored a century and took 13 wickets in one match against Boland in Paarl. The second-innings seven-for included four wickets in four consecutive balls. This collective performance, I’m told, is some sort of world record in cricket.”
6. Divan Posthumus – 30 years old
Divan Posthumus.
Easterns all-rounder Divan Posthumus retired in April 2025.
Posthumus debuted in 2021 – and collected 19 first-class, 15 List A and eight T20 caps for Easterns.
His final professional fixture was against Northern Cape in the 4-Day Domestic Series, division two, in January 2025.
“I have decided to retire from professional cricket,” the 30-year-old Posthumus told Club Cricket SA.
“I have always had a strong desire to make sure that, one day, when I start a family and get married, that I am capable of taking care of them. My desire to do that is more than my own personal interests. That is my number one priority.
“Carrying a few injuries the last two years made the decision a bit easier. I have started to struggle more and more and was not able to give a 120 percent as I always wanted to.
“It’s time to move on, though, and I am looking forward to the next chapter. I thank Easterns and the coaches who saw something in me and backed me to live this dream. I will always be extremely grateful for the opportunity to represent this union.”
7. Matthew Kleinveldt – 35 years old
Matthew Kleinveldt.
Former Cape Cobras batsman Matthew Kleinveldt retired in April 2025.
Kleinveldt played 139 first-class fixtures across a 15-year career. His career started at Western Province and ended at North West. He also represented the Titans and Knights.
“First and foremost, it has been a very difficult decision to give up the game,” Kleinveldt told OFM.
“It has been a lifelong dream of mine to possibly one day play for the Proteas, but I had to look at things realistically. Having kids and needing to provide for them going forward made what was a tough call a little easier.
“I’ll definitely look back with fond memories, not just of the innings I played, but of the people I played with. To be honest with you, the team-mates, the shared moments will stick with me more than the numbers.
“Leaving friends behind in the industry and not getting to compete against them anymore is something I’ll miss dearly. But I believe it’s the right time for me to hang up my boots and embrace a new lifestyle – one where I get to see my family more often, which is my main priority right now.”
8. Keenan Vieira – 27 years old
Keenan Vieira.
South Western Districts batsman Keenan Vieira retired in April 2025.
Vieira played first-class cricket for SWD and Eastern Province from 2019 to 2025.
“Keenan Vieira, who was on a high-performance contract for the past three seasons, has confirmed his retirement from the game. He will pursue a career in coaching,” read a statement from South Western Districts.
Vieira added: “And so everything must come to an end. Thank you to everyone that made it possible. Time for the next chapter.”
9. Shaylen Pillay – 31 years old
Easterns batsman Shaylen Pillay retired in April 2025.
Pillay also played for the Lions and North West – and collected 90 first-class matches from 2011 to 2025.
10. Marco Marais – 31 years old
File image: Marco Marais.
Border batsman Marco Marais retired in December 2024.
Marais was the leading run-scorer in the 2024-25 4-Day Domestic Series, division two, at the time of retiring. His penultimate professional score was 170 against Eastern Province in East London. He previously played for the Warriors.
“I say goodbye to the game that has given me everything from a very young age. I never thought that the little kid back then, messing around with the cricket bat, would be capable of creating this journey stretching over a decade,” wrote Marais on social media.
“Cricket has taught me a lot of patience, hard work and determination. I am grateful for the support and encouragement, not only from family and friends, but also from the people who followed my journey. The experiences and memories I have gained on and off the field have been nothing short of amazing.
“There have been many highs and a few lows throughout my career, but if I could, I would walk the same path again. Not only did cricket allow me to live my dream, it also allowed me to meet some lifelong friends and mentors. It exposed me to some of the best cricketers in the world and it allowed me to also see parts of the world I never thought would be possible.
“After much reflection and consideration, I have decided to retire from professional cricket. This decision has not been easy as cricket has been a significant part of my life for many years.”