The Soweto Derby between Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs always stokes a great rivalry between fans of the Buccaneers (Pirates) and the Amakhosi (Zulu for Chiefs). While Pirates were formed in 1937, Chiefs are in their relative infancy, emerging from a split with Pirates in 1970. Despite their short existence, Chiefs are the largest supported soccer club in the country. Unfortunately, the history of this fixture has been marred by two stadium disasters. In 1991, 42 people were killed at Orkney Stadium, while in 2001 the Ellis Park Stadium disaster saw 43 fans die.

But back to the game. As the game gets closer, so will the marketing increase. Take this commercial for mobile phone operator, Vodacom, tapping into Kaizer Chiefs’ brand.

The Vodacom commercial taps into the vibrant atmosphere that accompanies derby day. The chant of “Ayeye, liyez’ iKhosi” warns Pirates supporters to “beware, Chiefs are coming”. The eclectic range of makarapas, robes and costumes mirror the exciting sights of South Africa soccer supporting. Unlike many derby fixtures in Europe and South America, the Soweto Derby is a far less hostile atmosphere, with the focus of supporters on lifting their team through singing, dancing and the infamous vuvuzela.

Yet, the advert gives a very stylized and commercialized view of the derby. Set in Soweto, it reasserts Chiefs’ identity as a township club. While they originated from Phefeni in Soweto, in reality, Chiefs are no longer a township side but a national brand. The club is a commercial juggernaut offering a vast array of official merchandise to its millions of fans across the country. Replica shirts and training kit are prohibitively expensive, especially as the core demographic of South African soccer supporters are black, working class fans. This creates a tension between those who can afford authentic apparel and those who can’t; the authenticity of supporters becomes linked to the consumption of official merchandise. It is no longer merely a local derby game but one of national significance in which many supporters of both side avidly consume what the club sells. As one Chiefs fan said to me recently, “they know that we’ll buy it”. A pretty gloomy outlook for the relationship between fans and club.

And what on earth is a little boy doing running around Soweto with a smartphone?