Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) will award Desiree Ellis an Honorary Doctorate on Thursday, 25 April.

This recognition coincides with CPUT’s graduation ceremonies, celebrating over 7,000 students across 14 ceremonies from 22 and 26 April.

Ellis is lauded for her exceptional career as both player and coach. She led Banyana Banyana to their historic first Women’s Africa Cup of Nations title in 2022 and a remarkable World Cup group stage exit in 2023. Surrounded by loved ones, Ellis will be acknowledged for her immense contributions to South African sport.

This prestigious honor follows her record-breaking fourth CAF Coach of the Year award in December 2023, and the Order of Ikhamanga in Gold bestowed by President Cyril Ramaphosa in April 2023. Ellis’ leadership and her team’s unwavering spirit have cemented their place as legends in South African sporting history.

Since taking the helm of Banyana Banyana, Ellis has orchestrated a period of phenomenal achievements. In 2018, she steered the team to a well-deserved bronze medal at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations. This triumph secured their maiden qualification for the FIFA Women’s World Cup held in France the following year.

Their success story continued to unfold. In 2022, at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations hosted by Morocco, Banyana Banyana reached the pinnacle of African women’s football, claiming their first-ever WAFCON title with a victory over the host nation in the final. This accomplishment propelled them to a second World Cup appearance in 2023. They etched their names in history by becoming the first South African senior national team (men’s or women’s) to progress to the knockout stages, ultimately bowing out to the formidable Netherlands in the Round of 16.