What happened to the second-tier promotion playoff winners?

Orbit College celebrated their elevation to the Betway Premiership with a deserved victory in the PSL’s Promotion/Relegation Playoffs.

But it many ways the hard work starts now as they must quickly build a squad capable of competing in the topflight.

Some players who helped them get there will be released as they bring in footballers who have the experience to keep them in the top-flight.

There have been a total of 11 clubs from the second tier of South African football who have won a place in the Betway Premiership through the playoffs.

SuperSport.com looks at what happened to those promoted teams once they had made their way up:

2004-05: Tembisa Classic: Promotion was won in what was then a four-team playoff with Classic beating Hellenic over two legs in the final to go up.

Classic were sold after only two months in the top-flight to Maritzburg United, who had to compete for the rest of that season as Maritzburg Classic before they could change their name.

2005-06: Benoni Premier United: Businessman Dumisani Ndlovu bought the franchise of Hellenic and had Benoni promoted by beating Vasco da Gama 1-0 on aggregate over two legs in their playoff final, scoring the winner four minutes from the end of the second leg.

In 2007 Benoni sold to Thanda Royal Zulu and the name change was agreed within weeks of the 2007-08 season kicking off.

2007-08: Bay United: They edged FC AK in their two-legged playoff final to gain promotion but they won only five matches in their debut top-flight campaign and finished bottom.

The costs of running the club proved too much for owner Sipho Pityana who sold it to Johnny Mogaladi, whose Polokwane City returned to the DStv Premiership this past season.

2008-09: Mpumalanga Black Aces: Won dramatically against Thanda Royal Zulu in the playoff final to go up but finished second last the next season and had to return to the playoffs, when they beat Black Leopards on penalties to keep up their top-flight status.

But they were relegated in 2011 when they finished last in the standings.

2010-11: Black Leopards: Beat Bay United in the playoff for promotion, returning to the Premiership for the first time since 2008 and staying up for two seasons, finishing 14th in 2012 and then last in 2013.

2011-12: Chippa United: Came up as the three-team playoffs were introduced for the first time, finishing top of the table ahead of Santos and Thanda Royal Zulu.

Chippa were immediately relegated back down again as they lost to Black Aces in the playoffs the next year.

2012-13: Mpumalanga Black Aces: Were back in the top-flight after a two-year hiatus, finishing three points ahead of Chippa United and six ahead of Santos in the playoffs.

Aces were seventh the next season, 10th the year after that and then fourth in 2016 before the franchise was sold to John Comitis and renamed Cape Town City.

2014-15: Jomo Cosmos: Won the playoff as they condemned Moroka Swallows to their first ever relegation but despite Jomo Sono’s promises that his team would never go down again, they went straight back to the National First Division the next season.

2015-16: Highlands Park: Romped through the playoffs against Mbombela United and relegated University of Pretoria to win their top-flight place but found it tough among the big boys and were immediately relegated, only to bounce back the following campaign.

2017-18: Black Leopards: Stayed in the top-flight for three seasons, finishing in 13th place twice in a row and then bottom.

2022-23: Cape Town Spurs: Stormed through the playoffs but then did not win any of their first eight Premiership games in 2023-24.

They were better in the second half of the campaign, but not good enough to stay up.