“Long-term success for me is about building a sustainable women’s football program" - Shilene Booysen
Cape Town-born coach and football administrator Shilene Booysen has taken on one of the most important leadership roles in South African women’s football after being appointed Head of Women’s Football at Stellenbosch FC Women ahead of the club’s debut season in the Hollywoodbets Super League.
Booysen arrives at Stellenbosch with extensive international and domestic experience, having recently worked together with Scottish coach Pauline Hamill in the FIFA-sponsored Afghan Women United side during the FIFA Unites: Women’s Series 2025 in Morocco. The tournament marked an important moment for Afghan women’s football as the refugee-based team competed on the international stage under FIFA’s support. TUKS vs Stellenbosch
For Booysen, however, her latest appointment represents more than simply stepping into another technical role. It is a chance to shape the future of women’s football at one of South Africa’s fastest-growing clubs.
“This role means a lot more than just a title for me,” said Booysen. “Being the Head of Women’s Football at Stellenbosch FC is an opportunity to build something meaningful from the ground up.”
Her vision stretches beyond first-team success. Central to her plans is the creation of a sustainable pathway for young girls to progress from grassroots football into the professional game.
“It’s about creating a clear pathway where young girls can see a future in football from regional level right up to the professional standards we want to set in our Hollywoodbets team,” she explained.
Booysen believes the role gives her the opportunity to influence every aspect of the women’s programme, from player development and coaching structures to building a strong football culture within the club.
“If we can get it right, it means an opportunity to build, influence and create a sustainable platform, not just for now but also for the future of women’s football at the club.”
Booysen’s project at Stellenbosch has already officially begun on the field, with the club making their Hollywoodbets Super League debut this past weekend. Stellenbosch FC Women suffered a difficult start to their maiden top-flight campaign after falling 3-0 to the University of Pretoria Women's FC [AmaTuks] during the opening round of fixtures at the UJ Soweto Campus on Saturday. Booysen acknowledges that the transition into the Super League will require collective effort across the club.
“I think a smooth transition to top-flight football will be a shared responsibility,” she said. “My role is to create and ensure that the environment, structures, and support systems are in place for the Head Coach and players to succeed.”
Despite the defeat, the result marked an important milestone in the club’s journey into elite women’s football and Booysen wants Stellenbosch to compete fearlessly against established teams in the league.
“If we set our expectations to just survive because it is our first season, then we are saying we are here to participate,” she said. “Actually, we want to compete and finish as high as we possibly can.”
Among her key objectives are ensuring the team competes in every match regardless of the opposition, developing players mentally for top-flight football and building confidence within the squad that they belong at elite level. She also emphasised the importance of creating a clear football identity built around resilience, discipline and belief.
Like many clubs preparing for the new campaign, Stellenbosch have also had to navigate uncertainty around the delayed start of the Hollywoodbets Super League season.
Booysen admitted that the delays created challenges from a planning perspective, particularly around player conditioning and periodisation, but believes the club used the additional time productively.
“We’ve tried to use the extra time positively by improving our conditioning, building team culture, and reinforcing the playing principles and standards we want within the women’s program,” she explained.
While newly promoted teams may feel the effects of delays more strongly due to ongoing structural development, Booysen sees the situation as an opportunity to strengthen the club’s foundations before entering the league.
Looking ahead, her long-term ambitions for Stellenbosch FC Women are firmly rooted in sustainability and development rather than short-term success alone.
“Long-term success for me is about building a sustainable women’s football program with a strong culture, clear structures, and a pathway for young players to grow within the club,” she said.
“Most importantly, success would mean creating a program that gives young girls the belief that they can dream of playing football professionally and have a real pathway to achieve that at Stellenbosch FC.”
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