END OF AN ERA: Transnet Pulls the Plug on 30-Year Partnership With School of Excellence
After three decades of nurturing South Africa’s brightest football stars, the SAFA School of Excellence faces an uncertain future following Transnet’s funding withdrawal.
It is devastating news for South African football. After more than 30 years of partnership, Transnet has confirmed it will withdraw its support from the SAFA School of Excellence.
Founded in 1994 as a Corporate Social Investment (CSI) programme, the School of Excellence has long been a hub for discovering and nurturing young football talent from disadvantaged communities, while also offering quality education. Based in Elandsfontein, Germiston, the school has been fully funded by Transnet on a month-to-month arrangement since inception.
Over the years, the institution has produced some of South Africa’s most celebrated players, including Steven Pienaar, Bernard Parker, Keagan Dolly, Phakamani Mahlambi, and most recently, rising star Relebohile Mofokeng. Dubbed a “conveyor belt of talent,” it has shaped hundreds of professionals who went on to shine in the Premier Soccer League (PSL), abroad, and for Bafana Bafana at various levels.
Transnet has invested at least R20 million annually-over R200 million in the past decade-into the academy. But mounting financial pressures have now forced the state-owned logistics giant to step aside, leaving the future of the academy in limbo.
The school itself has battled financial challenges, including a R1.3 million municipal bill that once saw electricity being cut off, leaving students without adequate facilities. Yet despite these hurdles, it continued to thrive, producing players now making waves both locally and internationally.
There had been talks of the Gauteng Department of Education taking over the school, but those plans fell through. As it stands, the academy’s survival now hinges on attracting new donors or partners to carry the legacy forward.
In its statement, Transnet stressed that prospective sponsors must demonstrate not only financial stability, but also capacity to deliver measurable impact and long-term sustainability. Core requirements include a strong record in youth coaching, integrating academics with sport, community engagement, vocational training pathways, and a clear long-term vision.
Whether new partners step in or not, the legacy of the School of Excellence will remain etched in the story of South African football.
