The final whistle on the 2024/25 DStv Premiership season brought more questions than answers. While Mamelodi Sundowns coasted to yet another title, the real story was unfolding in the shadows—where relegation battles, arbitration hearings, and playoff twists shaped the future of South African football. Promotions are always earned, but this year, they were also disputed. And relegation? It was anything but straightforward.

Orbit College Make History

Orbit College wrote themselves into the record books by securing promotion to the Premiership for the first time. Their rise from the Motsepe Foundation Championship was sealed after a disciplined and decisive playoff campaign, where they held their nerve and closed out the race ahead of Cape Town City and Casric Stars. It marks the first time in seven years that the North West province will have representation in South Africa’s top flight.

Coach Pogiso Makhoye’s side showed composure under pressure, and their organised approach stood out in a playoff mini-league riddled with tension and inconsistency from the more experienced sides. Their arrival brings new energy, and possibly new questions about sustainability, but for now, Orbit College are deservedly in the big time.

Durban City’s Promotion Delayed by Legal Wrangle

Durban City (formerly Uthongathi FC, rebranded mid-season) won the Motsepe Championship on the pitch—but are still waiting on the boardroom. Their campaign was thrown into uncertainty after Cape Town Spurs and JDR Stars challenged the registration of player Saziso Magawana, who allegedly featured while suspended. The PSL confirmed Durban City as champions and automatic promotion in late May, but the arbitration hearing halted the promotion playoffs and cast a cloud over their ascension.

Until the matter is resolved, Durban City remain stuck in limbo—technically promoted, but not officially cleared. It’s the kind of controversy that’s become too familiar in South African football, where administrative missteps often hijack footballing achievement.

Cape Town City – Relegated After Playoff Collapse

Cape Town City’s top-flight chapter has officially closed. After finishing 15th in the DStv Premiership, the Cape side entered the promotion/relegation playoffs needing results to survive—but they came up short on every front. Three games, zero wins, and now, the drop.

Their fate was mathematically sealed after a 1–0 loss to Orbit College in their second playoff match. Even before their final fixture against Casric Stars, they knew relegation was confirmed. A 1–1 draw in that final outing at DHL Stadium only added a quiet, bitter full stop to a season that was anything but quiet.It marks the first relegation in Cape Town City’s history since their reformation in 2016.

A club that, not long ago, lifted the MTN8 and Carling Knockout titles, now finds itself facing a campaign in the Motsepe Foundation Championship. That fall—from silverware to second tier—sums up the club’s decline over the past two seasons. Much of their undoing came down to inconsistency and instability. Coaching changes mid-season disrupted rhythm, and the squad lacked the kind of resilience needed in a survival scrap. Despite flashes of promise from individual players, there was no collective response when it mattered most.

Now, the rebuild begins. But relegation comes with financial pressure, possible player exits, and the challenge of navigating a brutal first division. The Citizens have talent—but the coming months will test the club’s structure, ambition, and identity like never before.

Royal AM Expelled—Chaos at the Bottom

Royal AM’s mid-season implosion disrupted the integrity of the league. After multiple warnings and failure to settle with SARS, the club’s expulsion effectively erased their points from the log. It was a rare and dramatic sanction, and it forced the PSL to adjust relegation and playoff formats. While some clubs benefitted, the episode once again highlighted the governance gaps that continue to haunt South African football. A top-flight team disappearing without proper succession planning is as alarming as it is embarrassing.

The Numbers Don’t Lie—OptaJabu on the Decline

As always, OptaJabu captured the story beneath the table. SuperSport United, who flirted with the drop mid-season, recorded their lowest points total in a decade. Cape Town City’s goals-conceded column was their worst since rejoining the top flight. Durban City, despite the drama, posted a points-per-game tally that ranked among the top three of the last five NFD champions.

The data paints a picture of a league where margins are shrinking, but mismanagement is growing. Teams are failing to close out games, conceding late, and relying too much on isolated brilliance instead of system-based consistency.