Amajita and Stellenbosch star Tylon Smith completes move to England

Stellenbosch FC and South Africa Under-20 AFCON winning defender Tylon Smith has officially completed his move to English Championship side Queens Park Rangers, signing a four-year deal after successfully passing his medical.

The transfer marks a significant milestone for Stellenbosch FC, with Smith becoming the first player to progress through their entire academy system (U-14, U-16, U-18, and reserve teams) before securing a move abroad.

The two clubs reached an agreement for the highly sought-after 20-year-old, whose exceptional performances at the recent U20 Africa Cup of Nations garnered him the Player of the Tournament award and attracted considerable interest from international clubs. Despite not yet making his official senior debut for PSL side Stellenbosch FC, his talent was undeniable.

QPR CEO Christian Nourry expressed his satisfaction with the signing, stating, “We are happy to beat significant competition to land the services of Tylon today. His raw attributes give him every opportunity to become a successful central defender, and we are excited that the player feels, as we do, that we are best placed to develop and extract that potential from him. We will take it step by step.”

Stellenbosch FC CEO Rob Benadie echoed this sentiment, highlighting the pride felt by the club and the community. “This is a very proud moment for everyone at the club, the town, and his family,” Benadie said. “We’ve watched Tylon grow from a young boy in Jamestown into a player ready to take on the world stage. We have every confidence that he’ll thrive at QPR.”

Benadie emphasised the success of the club’s development pathways: “At Stellenbosch FC, we’ve always believed in creating real opportunities for young talent, and Tylon’s journey is proof that the pathways we are building are working. His move is a reward for years of hard work, not just from him, but from everyone involved in his development, and we hope it inspires the next generation to dream even bigger.”

Smith’s move is particularly noteworthy as he is the first player to transfer directly from the South African PSL to an English club since Kagiso Dikgacoi joined Fulham from Golden Arrows in 2009.

Everyone at Stellenbosch FC extends their best wishes to Tylon as he embarks on this exciting new chapter and looks forward to seeing him fulfil his undoubted potential.