Cricket South Africa will offer central contracts to their women's internationals for the first time this season.
Through the increased investment of CSA's main partner, final services provider Momentum, six players will be afforded contracts. In December 2012, the sponsorship enabled CSA to employ a full-time women's coach, Hilton Moreeng.
In a boost for the women's game, the move sees South Africa join England, Australia, West Indies and Pakistan in centrally contracting some women's internationals.
Captain Mignon du Preez, allrounders Dan van Niekerk and Marizanne Kapp, bowlers Marcia Letsoalo and Shabnim Ismail and wicketkeeper Trisha Chetty are the players to benefit in the forthcoming season.
"In Australia, New Zealand and England, the women are playing on national television," Du Preez said. "It's as big as the men's game, so hopefully we will get there soon."
"Momentum once again deserves to be praised for being more than just a major sponsor of cricket in South Africa," CSA chief executive Haroon Lorgat said. "Involvement is not merely investing money in cricket but goes much further through an impressive social investments programme which seeks to build a society that promotes family values and support for under-privileged cricketers."
Danie van den Bergh, head of Momentum brand, added: "I have said this on previous occasions: nothing unites our country more than success on our fields of play and the more we expose our children to the spirit of the game, the more chance we have of shaping future champions. The heroes of our future are born from the boys and girls that dream about taking to the field for real and not just during match breaks."