Education

Sibusiso Malindisa is on a doctoral quest to discover anti-cancer drugs. His research focuses on proteins involved in cancer, and he is working to find alternative cancer therapeutics that target the specific proteins, are permanent and not toxic. Malindisa received a teaching assistant award at Wits University at the end of the first year of his master’s in molecular and cell biology. He had to get a job as a petrol attendant to raise money for registration and squat with a friend for a year until finally graduating in 2016, one of the best moments of his life.
Malindisa is a biotechnology and biochemistry lecturer to third-year and honours students at Unisa. He takes technology and innovation to the next level with online lectures using YouTube, Journal of Virtual Experiments, Facebook and other platforms for teaching and research. He supervises postgraduate research projects, has co-supervised eight students to completion and is working with seven others.

Being an average student does not determine your trajectory in your career, it is your dedication and the significance which you bring into your work.

Sibusiso Masombuka is a senior life orientation and economic management sciences (EMS) teacher at the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls.
Masombuka left a management role in the fashion retail industry for his childhood dream of becoming an educator.
During the pandemic, Masombuka taught learners through a YouTube channel, Africa Teen Geeks, which reached more than five-million learners during the peak of the lockdowns and landed him an MTN Local Hero Award.
He then started his own YouTube channel, Swaggy School Teacher, where he teaches business, life orientation and EMS.
Last year, he helped learners in Riverlea and Soweto over weekends to prepare for their business studies final exams.
“Every day, I find a way to reach out to my learners in a way that would make them want to be at the service of others as well,” he says.

Live the truest expression of yourself! We live in a country that embraces differences, so it is okay to be yourself.

Postdoctoral fellow Simone Peters is part of a multifaceted team of psychologists, psychiatrists and anthropologists looking at infant mental health in South Africa and Africa. Peters says, “Our aim is to create an archive of the only infant mental health module in Africa, learn ways to decolonise this very Western model of observing infants and create an African-centred model that can be distributed throughout Africa.”
Using decolonial methods, Peters lectures on black masculinities with the aim of shifting how young people are researched towards more holistic narratives about marginalised groups. “Academia uses methods that replicate stereotypes about certain bodies of people,” she says.
Her work also involves researching and writing, including work with migrant women living with HIV and navigating Covid-19, as well as working with young coloured men living in and navigating often violent spaces, and how their stories are told in academia.

I have the ability to achieve the dreams I set out for myself. I have never looked back and learnt to trust my voice.

As a woman in the fields of computer science, artificial intelligence and machine learning, Tebatso Moape is helping young girls access the education that will bring them into this vital sector.
Moape is a lecturer at Unisa and she’s studying towards a PhD in computational linguistics. Her research addresses the scarcity of African languages online. “I’m working towards developing a language technology tool for Setswana and raising awareness on the importance of the availability of online content and technologies in all official languages in South Africa,” she says.
In 2018 Moape founded Rebao ICT Foundation and Youth Development to provide information and communications technology resources to disadvantaged young people. The foundation has also run community projects including providing sanitary towels and school shoes, and donating building material to a children’s home.
To encourage younger children to believe in themselves, she wrote a book called I Am. I Can. I Will.

Take accountability and responsibility for your life: the world owes you nothing, but you owe yourself everything your heart resonates with.

Young Sebastian Pretorius is only a grade six learner, but he’s already helping others to grow up into the honourable men that our country needs.
As an ambassador for Laerskool Randfontein, he strives to uplift younger kids and improve their skills so they can become valuable contributors to society. He also MCs at functions and gives motivational talks to his peers.
“I believe young boys in their journey to become men need to be encouraged,” he says. “I stand against bullying, gender-based violence and child abuse. It’s important to embrace and appreciate our differences.”
Pretorius loves acting and has won a National Eisteddfod Young Performer Award, and will appear in his first movie, Spoedgrens, this year.
He’s learned that not everyone is happy when other people achieve success. “More often, you become a target, so I’ve learned to keep my head up high,” he says.

Focus on how you can be the best version of yourself.

Tackling youth unemployment in South Africa takes effort and initiative from people such as Prudence Mathebula. As chief executive of Dynamic DNA, a training and skills development academy, Mathebula provides young South Africans with no-cost education in IT skills.

The company focuses on employability and collaborates with key partners to fund their trainees through learnerships, bursaries and soft skill training to ensure they’re well-rounded. The goal is to bridge the gap between companies that require expert technology professionals and young learners with the aptitudes and abilities to step into those positions.

Mathebula’s goal is ensuring South African youth are given opportunities to succeed, and are equipped with the skills and knowledge needed to make the most of them. “If you feel you have the right formula, go for it, as you are the only person hindering your growth and success,” she says.

“We are passionate about training for purpose and sustainability.”

Taking the ancient art of educating on to social media is where Nomfundo Brukwe has found her niche.
Her purpose is to lead, teach and serve and using social media lets her do all three. She posts job opportunities for unemployed educators on Twitter, and shares more about the profession and creative ideas for activities on TikTok.
Brukwe teaches at PEPPS Motheong Primary School in Atteridgeville. “I would like to see more future educators employed, engaging in creative lessons in the classroom that make learning fun, and making quality education accessible for all through my academic research findings and social media presence,” she says. She is currently studying for a master’s degree in education with her research focusing on how to accommodate dyslexic learners in an inclusive classroom.
Brukwe is a former vice-chairperson of the Unicef University of Pretoria Society, and is now an alumni volunteer teacher.

Take on the opportunities granted and aim to be extraordinary in everything you do.

Obakeng Leseyane leads technical integrations for LearnWorlds, an online learning platform.

Leseyane was a child who had the odds stacked against him, but through receiving multiple scholarships and fellowships — including being selected to be a summer scholar at Wharton Business School — he now considers himself to be a global citizen with an Africa-focused impact mission.

Being awarded a full scholarship for a private boys’ high school in Cape Town, after coming out of poorly funded government primary school in Rustenburg, counts among his proudest moments.

Leseyane believes that “those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go”. He says he wants young South Africans to dream beyond South Africa, and believes that access to quality and affordable internet is a means to achieve that dream.

“My story is proof that one should risk going too far, because you can literally end up living your wildest dreams — with conviction.”

Minenhle Khoza works in academic development and youth empowerment to make education meaningful and fashionable.

She is a lecturer and Work Integrated Learning (WIL) co-ordinator at the University of Johannesburg’s department of biotechnology and food technology. As a WIL coordinator, Khoza assists students with preparation for the working world, which includes interviewing and CV-writing skills, and applications for WIL and internship. Since 2020, Khoza has helped over 160 undergraduate students get internships and 15 graduates to secure employment.

Khoza is the chief executive of Faculty of Best Advisory, an NPO at which she facilitates career guidance workshops for high school and university students, and assists matriculants from partner schools in applying for tertiary education opportunities.

“I wake up understanding that there’s someone who draws inspiration from seeing me strive. I make it my mission to excel so they can stay motivated and encouraged to make their lives meaningful,” she says.

“My dreams are bigger than me, and my mother always says ‘Ayikho Inkomo yobuthongo,’ meaning if you want wealth or rewards, you have to put in the effort.”

Growing up in a village in Phuthaditjhaba in the Free State was part of what motivated Motshedisi Likate to start the Motshedisi Likate Foundation, which aims to empower girls and women to become the best version of themselves. During the week, she tutors primary school children between grades one and seven in all subjects – mainly English and mathematics.
She also runs a mentorship and empowerment programme for adolescent girls, BetSheCan, doing activities with them once a month to encourage them to be responsible and fight for the lives they’d ideally like to live.
“Three of the girls I started BetSheCan with got accepted into university and lived according to the values of our programme, which are to thrive, inspire and succeed,” she says.
Likate was selected as an international girl champion for Save the Children and got the opportunity to travel and be an advocate for the rights of children and women across the world.

I want to see more children in villages like my own getting a quality education and for qualified individuals to bring the change here in South Africa.

“Never let outside voices determine who you are and where you are supposed to go — everyone is the architect of their destiny,” says Napjadi Letsoalo. As a family-driven man from a disadvantaged background, his work ethic and strength of character propelled him to obtain his PhD in linguistics from the University of Limpopo in 2019, thus becoming the first person in his family to attain a PhD.
He is now a decorated lecturer at Unisa and is involved in multiple research and community engagement projects, such as the Unisa Language Festival, an institutional strategic project that promotes multilingualism in South African communities; and Inspired towards Science Engineering and Technology, a robotic project to develop robotics teaching resources in South African indigenous languages. Letsoalo aims to combat the attitudes and stereotypes surrounding indigenous languages and contribute towards seeing them used as languages of instruction in the fields of linguistics, science, engineering, technology and economics.

I would like to see languages being used to unite the nation, not to divide it; seeing people eager to learn each other’s languages.

Mavhuthu Musetsho is an entrepreneur who wishes to see the young people of South Africa achieve their dreams, so he gathered 150 young people in a WhatsApp group focused on motivating the youth to become responsible citizens.
After attaining his honours degree in accounting from the University of Johannesburg, Musetsho was awarded a scholarship to the Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University, and is now an MBA graduate. “Growing up as a child in rural areas, I had big dreams,” he says. “However, I never dreamed of studying overseas and being the first one in my family to acquire a master’s degree.”
As a tax administrator, Musetsho works to ensure that entities doing business in South Africa comply with the regulations of the South African Revenue Service.
Musetsho’s vision to create job opportunities for the youth is what drives him to work hard, so that he can be an active participant in the economic growth and development of the country.

For a dream to come to pass, one needs to be determined, dedicated, and disciplined.

Marcel Nagar is a senior postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Johannesburg, focusing on African developmental states. She has attained numerous degrees from universities around South Africa, and continues to contribute to academic literature through journal articles, book chapters and research reports. Nagar’s proudest moment was when she graduated in 2019 as a doctor of literature and philosophy in political science, and later published her thesis as a book volume with Palgrave Macmillan. Her biggest mistake, she recalls, was prioritising the opinions of others. Nagar has since learned the importance of trusting her own judgment and taking full responsibility for her choices. She is motivated to excel by her love for her career, country and continent. Political science provides Nagar with a unique lens through which the world can be understood, and she is inspired by its transformative potential. Her ambitions reside in the hope to see a more inclusive and equitable society.

My work strongly advocates for a revival of civil society in a bottom-up approach to development.

Engineer Masoi Mhlope does oil refinery research at Cape engineering firm Proconics, and is the founder of BraYn Tutoring.

With a vision to propel young, inquisitive South African learners into careers in STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) subjects, BraYn Tutoring was inspired by Mhlope’s love of education, his passion for science and his altruistic wish for a South Africa where citizens have access to quality education, a clean environment, a respectable standard of living and a better chance of pursuing tertiary education.

Learners in the BraYniacs programme receive mother-tongue tutoring in the sciences, using phonetics to bridge the language gap and translate challenging scientific terms.
The tutoring system uses WhatsApp, making it accessible to any young person with a phone.

Mhlope continues to develop and broaden the scope of BraYn Tutoring, hoping to achieve a nationwide network of tutors and learners.

“Mistakes are a catalyst for growth.”

A passionate advocate for science and science education, innovator Maboni Mmatli is committed to helping young and would-be scientists to find their voice.

The education crisis in South Africa is ongoing and with literacy, maths and science specifically affected, Mmatli’s initiative is an essential public service in getting more young minds into science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) fields.

While studying for a BSc in biological sciences at Nelson Mandela University, Mmatli’s intuition directed him toward his specific field: science journalism and science communications.

He obtained a science communication certificate from Stellenbosch University in 2021.

He believes, and has demonstrated, that science education has myriad applications, including wellbeing, a sense of belonging and self-care. He leads by example with the groundbreaking initiative Science for Ubuntu, of which he is the founder and director. Science for Ubuntu is a science and science communication initiative committed to the promotion of STEM literacy, application and education.

This proudly South Africa organisation fuses the precept of ubuntu with that of scientific enquiry predicated on the South African context.

A mistake can be a gift — a lesson learned.

Driven to see South Africa be better than it was yesterday, Lemohang Monyatsi manages road safety engineering at the Road Traffic Management Corporation, an agency of the department of transport. Here, Monyatsi formulates policies to ensure South African roads are safer. He also serves as chairperson of the traffic calming working group, which involves different road authorities in South Africa and is responsible for shaping traffic-calming policies. He hails from a rural town, where he is accustomed to walking alongside roads, and Monyatsi says he has witnessed children being knocked over by cars. Therefore, he is personally invested in and dedicated to making roads safe and equitable spaces. Monyatsi wants safe roads and zero road-related deaths and injuries. His work has made an impression: Monyatsi’s research on traffic calming was selected for presentation at the UK Transport Practitioners’ Meeting in London in 2021. This June, he presents his research at the International Conference on Engineering, Technology and Innovation in France.

Take a break when you need to but don’t use that to fuel your laziness or despondency, stand up and work again.

Noting a lack of awareness about financial products in disadvantaged communities, Lungile Mashigo decided to found Stripped Money Conversations. Through her website, seminars, podcast and a weekly appearance on e.tv’s The Morning Show, Lungile leads accessible conversations about money.

Making a positive contribution to society is important to Mashigo. She uses the decade of knowledge she gained working in the financial sector to help people build a better relationship with their finances, and ultimately to grow generational wealth.

“I want to see the gap between the haves and the have-nots decrease significantly,” she says.

Mashigo prides herself on being able to simplify financial jargon and economic issues into discussions that any South African can learn from. “The world of money and investments is intimidating, complicated and appears to be just for the wealthy,” she says. “I empower others with simple information in a language they can understand.”

“I want to see the gap between the haves and the have-nots decrease significantly.”

Many children battle to reach their full potential in schools that are often overcrowded and under-resourced. Kids with learning difficulties face additional challenges, which many schools lack the capacity to address. Khula Learning Centre in Cape Agulhas, however, is flourishing.

Khula was opened in 2019 by Jeanine Roux, its co-founder, director and one of the tutors. It provides academic tutoring and social and emotional support for home-schooled children with individual needs, including learners with dyslexia, ADHD and autism. “Nothing in the world is more rewarding than seeing those tiny humans grow and excel, and being the example they look up to and follow,” Roux says.

She also runs Jeanine Roux Consulting, helping families with parenting strategies, developing behaviour plans and creating individual education plans for children.

She hopes to make Khula a champion of inclusive education by providing a replicable model that is affordable and accessible.

“Teaching is not my job — it’s my life — and I would never have found the same fulfilment in any other career.”

Kagisho Masae’s efforts in the education technology space have laid important groundwork for democratising access to quality education. A finance professional by trade, Masae pivoted to education as a means to fulfil a higher calling. His company, Matric Live, is a digital learning platform that helped more than 600 000 learners during the 2020 and 2021 lockdowns – a feat that Masae counts as one of his greatest professional achievements.
While Matric Live’s flagship product contains tools for learners, the company recently launched learning tools aimed at teachers. The business continues to evolve and so Masae and his partners hope to make greater use of data-informed insights to create more personal and efficient learning experiences, as this is fundamental to closing the inequality gap in South Africa in the long term. He believes in passion over profit and is driven by the idea that his effort and dedication has to potential to change people’s lives.

You are too young to have it all figured out. It is okay to not be okay and no decision you make will please everyone.

Harnessing the ability of technology to uplift, inspire and empower is a passion for Frankie Cilliers, the head of educational innovation at Saxonwold Primary School.

Cilliers teaches students coding and app and website development, and encourages collaboration, critical thinking, creativity and problem-solving. He also trains teachers how to use technology efficiently and innovatively in their lessons.

Because of his work, the school was featured in an international study by ReD Associates and LEGO into the effective use of technology in the classroom.

Saxonwold is an affluent area, but many of the learners there are the children of domestic workers.

“My mission is to not let any learner fall behind in terms of technology, so they become future-ready and innovative future-thinking leaders to improve not only their own lives, but also the lives of many South Africans,” Cilliers says.

His website, frankiecilliers.com, has resources to help teachers use technology effectively.

“I am passionate about technology and how it can uplift communities – especially those that need to be uplifted and empowered the most!”

At 23, Boitumelo Diale has only just begun her professional life, yet she has achieved so much already. She is a triple graduate of the University of Cape Town, subject head for accounting at Sans Souci Girls’ High School and an entrepreneur.

As a high school teacher, Diale has developed a love for pedagogy and the general wellbeing of students. This is supported by her work outside of school, which includes private tutoring, emceeing, and curating events and seminars.

Diale helps young people overcome the challenges they face daily in their pursuit of academic excellence. Her advice for them is to persevere in the pursuit of excellence, seek out strong mentor-mentee relationships — and never give up.

“It is never too late to get back up, but it’s too early to give up”

Boitumelo Kuzwayo is driven by a need to honour human dignity by helping to bridge the gap of inequality in education. She is a qualified chartered accountant with a master’s in international accounting.
In her role as deputy head of the teaching and learning department at the University of Johannesburg, she ensures that the learning material at the institution is up to standard, year after year. And as a senior lecturer, she sees to its implementation.
Kuzwayo has also been a project coordinator for a bursary and academic support programme that caters to approximately 400 students, providing disenfranchised students with tools and access to quality education. This includes additional lectures, mentorship, soft skills training and financial assistance to students who are at risk of not completing their qualifications.
“I believe self-worth, dignity and knowledge are very important. I love to see people build themselves through education and the appropriate skill set development,” she said.

Fear stifles so much growth and progress. Don’t be afraid to take bold and calculated decisions no matter how frightening they might be.

While pursuing her master’s in development finance at the University of Cape Town’s Graduate School of Business in 2018, Bongiwe Beja-Ntsiko had already worked for more than four years as a business development consultant at Sanlam, and had recently left her position in client services and business development at Perpetua Investment Managers. “I am currently the head of partnerships at The Student Hub, which provides technical and vocational education and training colleges with the infrastructure to offer optimised online teaching and learning,” she explains.
At the 2018 Most Influential Young South Africans, an annual initiative by Avance Media, Beja-Ntsiko was named the 11th most influential young person in the country and won the personal development and academia category. A business leadership PhD candidate with Unisa’s Graduate School of Business Leadership, Beja-Ntsiko is preparing herself for the future. “I hope to play a pivotal role in integrating technologies like artificial intelligence and automation into education,” she says.

I want to see the work I do expand and scale into the entire African continent and not only be contained in my country.

Awonke Nqayiya’s biggest mistake — not preparing for his mathematics paper 1 and subsequently getting a zero — led him to his greatest achievements. He got a distinction for paper 2, and turned his focus towards youth empowerment through education.

In 2021, Nqayiya was recognised as one of the top 10 outstanding persons in the country by Junior Chamber International South Africa.

He empowers youths from rural areas and townships through education, offering academic support by way of tutoring, mentorship and providing career guidance to high school learners and university students.

Nqayiya compiled and published a mathematics study guide in 2020 for grade 11 and grade 12 mathematics paper 2. He helps learners master basic concepts and primary principles before moving to advanced levels in his study guide, Mathematics with Nqayiya. According to Nqayiya, the testimonials from people who use the study guide inspire him to do more for youth in academia.

“It takes time, effort and patience to achieve greatness in every task.”

When Ayanda Mhlongo looks back proudly on her graduations, her mother’s joy and the knowledge that she’s breaking generational patterns and creating new norms for generations to come fuels her. Mhlongo is now at the University of Cambridge, where her PhD research explores historical trauma from the perspective of black women military veterans from uMkhonto weSizwe. Her study considers the relationship between historical trauma and sustainable development in South Africa. Mhlongo longs to see an end to the anxiety and fear that come from a lack of economic opportunities in South Africa. She is committed to helping to reduce poverty, promote social and economic enterprise, eliminate gender disparities, promote peace and resolve community conflict, and to foster youth development and social integration. “I believe that Africa will either rise or fall based on the quality of our leaders. I strive to demonstrate ethical and servant leadership in Africa,” she says.

I am a leader who is a carpenter of human spirits, I believe that I was created to serve people and positively impact their lives.