Cricket South Africa (CSA) on Tuesday announced important changes to the structures and conditions of the domestic competitions for the 2011/12 season.
The MTN40 will now be a 45 overs-a-side competition to bring it more into line with its international counterpart.
A semi-professional side, drawn from the ranks of the affiliated provinces, will be taking part in the T20 as a seventh team.
This team will be allowed to sign four foreign players for this particular competition of whom a maximum of three can be selected for any one game.
The semi-professional side will fall under the control of CSA.
It will play its matches around the country with its home training base at the High Performance Centre in Pretoria.
In another change the six franchises will be allowed to recruit two foreign players each.
These players would only be allowed to play in the T20 competition.
In terms of the regulations for the new semi-professional provincial competition, each province would be allowed to sign seven professional players and they must all be South African-qualified players.
The teams will again play three-day first-class matches but there will be a mix of 45 overs and 20 overs matches to help prepared players for their participation in the domestic T20.
CSA also announced changes to the amateur set-up with the national club championship switched from September to the end of the season from the start of the 2012-13 summer. — Sapa