While many players and coaches will publicly say they prepare for it like any other game, there's always something different about Derby week.
Players change hairstyles, some arrive for training earlier than usual, bets are made and others try to avoid being tackled by the defenders in training.
There's always a funny or interesting story to tell about Derby week, so snl24.com/kickoff has tracked down a few former players from both Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs.
Ex-Pirates shot-stopper Innocent Mayoyo gives insight into how muthi was used back in his time before the Derby.
"I think during Derby times that's when it showed that muthi is part of African tradition you see.
"In 1988 when we were going to play for the Bob Save Super Bowl, thina [we] from the camp we knew we had already beat them with rituals that were done the night before. We knew the team list of Kaizer Chiefs a day before; our muthi man wrote it down exactly the same way it was going to be. After that he said some magic words on that list and the paper burned. All this happened in some bushes. We left our camp around 12 midnight together with the likes of Walter Da Silva, no one was left behind.
"It was the first time I saw such a thing. Remember I was only 20 years old. It was my first year in the premier league. Our muthi man convinced us that Kaizer Chiefs was left in the bush, we just had to go there to honour the game. All that he said was going to happen, it happened exactly like that. Even though the very same muthi man ended up being beaten up by club bosses. The same muthi man was with us when we lost 3-1 to Wits in the top 8. That's where he got kicked. He was kicked so hard right in the dressing room.
"In those days this thing of having friends in the Chiefs camp was not there. If you play for Pirates you play for Pirates. These days it happens because people play for fun, they don't care about pride. During our time if they could spot you with a Chiefs player bebangakulanda nasekhaya abalandeli [supporters would come for you at your house].