Malawian international Gabadinho Mhango is taking Marumo Gallants to the Johannesburg High Court over an image rights dispute.
The dispute is related to the unauthorised use of his image in club promotions.
Mhango alleges the club used his image and likeness to advertise matches on social media without compensation, Sunday World reported.
This includes posts on December 5, 2023, promoting a fixture against Orlando Pirates, a video interview shared on September 13, 2024, and a team sheet posted on March 14, 2025, where he was listed in the starting line-up.
The Premier Soccer League’s National Dispute Resolution Committee declined to hear the matter in February, citing a lack of jurisdiction, prompting Mhango to pursue the case through the courts.
In court papers, the former Orlando Pirates forward states he is entitled to benefit from the commercial use of his image and signature rights, including his name, photo, voice, and nickname.
These rights were initially held by his agency, Prosport, led by Michael Makaab, and were sold to Swallows FC in a contract valued at R828,000 when Mhango joined the club.
Prosport officially ceded the rights to Mhango in August 2023. Mhango argues that Gallants, having acquired Swallows as a going concern, inherited all contractual obligations – yet have failed to honour payments for continued use of his image.
Letters of demand for R428,000 and R400,000 were sent in January and September 2024, respectively, but the amounts remain unpaid. Mhango now seeks a court order to compel payment.
The case could set a precedent for how image rights are respected and enforced in South African football.