South Africa finished sixth in the final medals at the Paralympics in Beijing, winning 30 medals, 21 of them gold.

 

Du Toit, who won five gold medals at the Games, was the biggest financial winner pocketing a cheque for R330,000 (£18,536) from the fund which was set up by the team's sponsors, while Hilton Langenhoven and Oscar Pistorius, who brought home three gold medals each, were rewarded with R198,000 (£11,129) each.

Andy Scott, whose idea it was to establish the incentive fund, said: "The sponsors have been terrific.

 

"When we told them we wanted to raise money to give the athletes a little more reward, most of them jumped at the chance straight away.

 

"A few others had to clear it with the bean counters, but they came through as they always do, which says a lot not only for the performances of the team, but the way that the family of sponsors have taken them to heart."

The fund is the biggest offered to the South African Paralympic team since they were readmitted to world sport in 1992 following the end of apartheid.

In the breakdown, a gold medal is worth R66,000 (£3,709), a silver R44,000 (£2,472) and a bronze R22,000 (£1,237).

 

In contrast, Khotso Mokoena, who won the silver medal in the long jump at the Olympics, received R500,000 (£28,130) from an incentive fund from South African bank Absa.

 

He was also given a further R1 million (£56,410) by Athletics South Africa.

 

Scott said: "The difference is that there are, for example, 10 100 metres events for the different classes in the Paralympics and one in the Olympics.

"We have to have some perspective.

 

"The incentive fund we have is a privilege and not a right, which is how some view it.

 

 

"It's something we and the sponsors decided to put together to give the athletes a little more reward for bringing pride to their country and themselves."