Ashley du Preez's arrival from Kaizer Chiefs is the headline move of Stellenbosch's transfer window, confirmed on 4 August alongside fellow ex-Chief Sphiwe Msimango on the same date. The double raid on Amakhosi in a single day gives the Cape Winelands club two players with top-flight PSL experience in one swoop, and it signals that Stellenbosch's ambitions for the new campaign are firmly intact.

The club's recruitment extended beyond that Amakhosi double. Kgaogelo Ramushu from Polokwane City and Surprise Nhlabathi from Baroka both put pen to paper on 1 August, bolstering different areas of the squad. Completing the arrivals, Qobolwakhe Sibande joined on loan from Egyptian outfit Petrojet on 31 July — a flexible piece of business that adds short-term depth without a permanent commitment.

The departures column runs just as long. Thapelo Mokobodi was the first out the door, joining Orlando Pirates on 29 July, and Dublin Boon followed him to the Sea Robbers on 13 August. Losing two players to one of the PSL's biggest clubs in a single window is a notable outflow of talent, though the timing of the incomings means the squad was never left short.

The Kaizer Chiefs thread runs through this window in both directions. Langelihle Phili completed a permanent move to Naturena on 3 August — one day before Du Preez and Msimango travelled the other way — while Faiz Abrahams joined Chiefs on loan on 7 August. Muzomuhle Khanyi, meanwhile, headed to Chippa United on loan on 31 July, trimming the squad further and creating the space that the new arrivals now fill.

The one deal with an international dimension came earliest of all: Ibraheem Jabaar left on a free transfer to Tanzanian giants Simba on 25 July, the only exit in the window to take a Stellenbosch player beyond South Africa's borders. His departure closes a chapter, but with five reinforcements secured — two of them carrying direct Kaizer Chiefs experience — Stellenbosch enter the season with a refreshed roster and, on paper, greater competition for places throughout the squad.