A goalless draw against already-qualified Brazil meant South Africa exited the tournament without a victory and without scoring a goal, yet Pauw feels it was a valuable experience for her team.
"That is the lesson after a tournament like this - against Sweden we were unlucky not to get away with a point, the China match showed that if you don’t convert your chances then you will be punished,” she said.
“Although China was stronger, we could have scored three or four times in the opening minutes. Brazil is a top team, and even when they left several first team players on the bench, their quality still showed because most of their players are based abroad.
“I hope our players have showcased themselves that people will sign them up because they deserve it. They have shown what they are capable of and what they can add to teams.”
The Dutch coach feels that the only way forward now for South African women’s football is a professionally run league.
"We have grown so much in the last six months that we can only say it has been a tremendous journey, and hopefully a professional league will start in South Africa because if you can showcase this with this group of players, then you have to take care of the future of the game so that new talent can come in,” she said.
“A professional league is the only way to drive forward into the future of women’s football in South Africa."
With their Olympic assignment now over, the South African ladies will depart Manaus on Wednesday, and are expected to fly back home from Rio de Janeiro on Thursday, landing back in South Africa on Friday.