Banyana Banyana star Portia Modise beat off the biggest names in South African sport to win the South African Sports Star of the Year Award at a glittering function in Sandton last night.
Modise, the first African soccer player to score 100 international goals, scooped the R1-million prize, which is voted for by public votes.
Her rivals were swimmer Chad le Clos, cricketer AB de Villiers, Springbok eighth man Duane Vermeulen, rejuvenated athlete Khotso Mokoena and Boston Marathon king Ernst van Dyk.
The prize comes at the perfect time for Modise, who recently said in an interview that she was so broke she would not be able to buy Christmas presents for her family.
In the other categories - voted by a panel of judges - there was consolation for Le Clos, who won seven medals at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, and Van Dyk.
The swimming star won Sportsman of the Year, while Van Dyk, who clinched his 10th Boston title this year, claimed Sportsman of the Year with a Disability.
Sportswoman of the Year went to cyclist Ashleigh Moolman Pasio, a bronze medallist at the Commonwealth Games, who had been up against fellow Games medallists, javelin-thrower Sunette Viljoen and wrestler Mpho Madi.
Para-cyclist Justine Asher won Sportswoman of the Year with a Disability.
Bafana mentor Shakes Mashaba won Coach of the Year for getting the under-20 team to qualify for the African Youth Championships.
Team of the Year was taken by the national under-19 cricket side which won their age group World Cup.
Triathlon SA was named Federation of the Year.
Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package. 
