Ubuntu Football Academy Director Casey Prince has detailed the institution’s move to upgraded facilities in Somerset West and the complexities of transitioning elite talent to powerhouse clubs such as Stellenbosch FC, Cape Town City FC, Orlando Pirates, and Mamelodi Sundowns.
The DStv Diski Challenge [DDC] leaders, Orlando Pirates, have capitalised on Ubuntu’s rich talent pool by securing DDC stars Kieran Craig, Tristan O’Malley, and Lyle Chatburn in recent months.
Beyond local shores, the academy’s global footprint continues to expand, with seven graduates moving to Europe since 2022. This impressive milestone was further highlighted in early 2026 by Matthew Palmer and Losika Ratshukudu, who both secured moves to Croatian top-flight side NK Slaven Belupo.
There have been other notable moves as well. Lazola Maku to Siwelele FC, Siviwe Magidigidi made the switch to K Beerschot VA via Siwelele FC, while Munashe Garananga has continued his journey with FC Copenhagen. Antonio Van Wyk also earned a move to SV Ried through Stellenbosch FC.
UBUNTU TO THE WORLD: EUROPEAN MOVES AND PIRATES RAIDS REVEAL ACADEMY’S ELITE PIPELINE
Alongside the professional pathway, the academy also enjoys a strong US scholarship programme that focuses on both football and education.
So far, 26 students have gone on to study in the United States through scholarships. A big part of that success comes from the academy’s balanced approach, which sees over 90% of its students graduate, with most qualifying for university.
The academy’s looming relocation from Masiphumlele to Somerset West marks a significant evolution in its operations. And in an interview with FARPost Director Casey Prince noted that the move to larger facilities has transformed the academy into a fully residential institution.
“It’s a great move for us to move to bigger facilities,” Prince explained to this publication. “Half of our students were weekly boarders; now the new site allows us to be 100% boarding. The intention was to always reach 95 to 100 students, and we were previously at about 80. Now, all the boys and girls will be full-time boarders. It is unique; nobody is really hosting a girls’ football academy like this, and we can now recruit girls from across the city.”
ON HOW PLAYERS LEAVE THE UBUNTU ACADEMY AND SELL-ON CLAUSES
“For clubs like Stellenbosch, it is often us contacting them to offer players. We would say ‘these are the guys who are graduating; they would fit your programme’. They also make approaches. It is a two-way relationship between Stellenbosch and us,” Prince said after being asked to explain how the players leave the academy.
Some of the Ubuntu products at Stellenbosch FC include Antonio Van Wyk, who joined Austrian club SV Ried in 2024, and DDC stars such as Dejean Ah Shene, Kyle Bailey, Solethu ‘Razor’ Mabhenu, and Kyle Jurgens, who has since moved to Durban City FC on loan.
“When we can, when a club has worked with us before, we are able to find a sell-on clause or something like that which can produce revenue that comes back in,” Prince said on whether Ubuntu places contract clauses on academy product deals. “When the club doesn’t come directly to us for the player, it becomes difficult. It means that the kid just sort of disappeared.
“To talk about your example on Relebohile Mofokeng, if he were to be sold to Europe, you would think that the School of Excellence would reap the benefits of that. When Jody Ah Shene [Ubuntu Academy product] got sold to Mamelodi Sundowns [from Cape Town City], we did have a sell-on.”
He added: “With our players going to Europe and the USA, we often weigh the development and training compensation as the first step. It’s about not putting stumbling blocks in their way. I also have to point out that everything we make goes back into the Ubuntu Trust, the facilities, coaches, school teachers, kits, Bibles, etc. There is no money that goes into somebody’s pocket.”
ON UBUNTU PRODUCTS AT ORLANDO PIRATES AND MAMELODI SUNDOWNS BUT LESS KAIZER CHIEFS
“We’ve tried recruiting players to Kaizer Chiefs. And we did not take players to Pirates or Sundowns; it was done on the sides. If Chiefs would want a player, it would happen if it fits in the right time frame. But we have had a player at Chiefs [the late Luke Fleurs], but he was at SuperSport United first. We are not opposed to any player going there. We just want them to leave only when they finish school and their development with us. It is the same with every club,” Prince continued.
“With the players moving to Europe, it is through our relationships with clubs and agents. We would love to see this expand even more. Right now, we have players in Grade 12 who will spend some time in Europe over the next few weeks. We want to see this happen more and more,” Prince added.
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