Formerly known as the Provincial One-Day Challenge Division Two, the Dafabet Pro50 Shield gets going on Sunday 13 September as part of Cricket South Africa's domestic rebrand.

The action kicks off with Easterns hosting South Western Districts in Benoni, the first fixture in a long haul that will not finish up until late March.

One name is missing from the list, though, and it is a fairly significant one. Knights won last term's title with a five-wicket chase against Border in Bloemfonteint to move on to the next tier.

That leaves Border as the team with the most recent big-occasion pedigree, having gone all the way to a final only to come up short — everyone else in the division will be sizing themselves up against last season's runners' up early on.

Seven teams make up the new campaign. Easterns, South Western Districts, Limpopo, Border, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal Inland and Northern Cape will play each other home and away across 42 matches that run from late August right through to March, so there is plenty of cricket still to come before anyone starts talking seriously about who tops the table.

Dafabet Pro50 Shield: Schedule, full fixture list

Who won the 2025 Provincial One-Day Challenge Division Two?

The Provincial One-Day Challenge Division Two 2025 was won by the Knights, who had to work for that promotion-clinching win.

Border were bowled out for 148 in Bloemfontein, and Dane Piedt did most of the early damage with figures of 4/29 that never let the Knights innings settle into any real trouble.

Jacques Snyman's 36 got the chase moving, and Cole Abrahams saw it home with an unbeaten 33, Knights getting there with five wickets and a full 82 balls still in hand.

Border had few complaints about the bowling on their side, but with the bat only Wian Ruthven's half-century had any real substance to it, and 148 was never going to be enough against a Knights side chasing that comfortably.

Dafabet Pro50 Shield predictions: Who is in the hunt?

Border are the obvious starting point given how close they came last time out, and a squad that got that deep into March will fancy going one step further with four home fixtures lined up at KuGumpo City this term.

Beyond that, it is genuinely hard to call.Easterns and Mpumalanga both have a slightly heavier home schedule than the rest of the field, and how well each of them handles that long mid-season lull might end up mattering just as much as anything that happens on the pitch.

FAQs

Who won the last Provincial One-Day Challenge Division Two title?

Knights took the 2025/26 title, chasing down Border with five wickets to spare in the final at Mangaung Oval, Bloemfontein, back on March 22, 2026.

When does the 2026/27 season start?

Things get going on Sunday, September 13, 2026, with three matches all taking place on the same day in Benoni, Polokwane and White River.

How many teams are competing this season?

Seven teams make up the new Division Two campaign, Easterns, South Western Districts, Limpopo, Border, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal Inland and Northern Cape, and each will play the others both home and away.