The 82-year-old died in Sao Paulo on Thursday after a long battle with cancer.
In a statement, SAFA President Danny Jordaan says Pele will be remembered not only as a great footballer but also a great ambassador.
He also added that the football icon was a supporter of African progress in football.
Meanwhile, Brazil has declared three days of mourning following the death of the soccer legend. The death of Pele moved Brazilians to pay tribute to the icon.
Brazilian soccer legend great Pele passes on at age 82:
The former striker, who is the only player in history to win three World Cups, passed away at the Albert Einstein hospital in Sao Paulo on Thursday following a battle with cancer.
During his playing career, Pele scored more than a thousand goals before retiring in 1977.
Edson Arantes do Nascimento is regarded as one of the greatest players of all time and labelled “the greatest” by FIFA.
He was among the most successful and popular sports figures of the 20th century.
In 1999, he was named Athlete of the Century by the International Olympic Committee and was included in the Time list of the 100 most important people of the 20th century
