Losing loved ones, being diagnosed with chronic illness and contracting Covid-19 are some of the challenges experienced by the top achievers of the Independent Examinations Board (IEB) class of 2021.
The IEB has seen a slight increase in the matric pass rate for 2021 from 98.06% in 2020 to 98.39%.
With nine distinctions and an average of 95.9% matric pass rate, Sazi Bongwe, a former pupil at St John's College in Houghton Estate, Johannesburg, is headed to Harvard University in the US to further his studies.
Bongwe, 18, from Johannesburg, achieved distinctions in dramatic arts, English, history, Zulu, life orientation, mathematics, physical science, advanced programme mathematics and advanced programme English.
“I am excited to be among the top achievers. It is something I don't take lightly. It's a huge validation as it means that my hard work was realised,” he said.
When asked why Harvard, Bongwe was quick to say he applied at the US university because he had a really good and transformative, impactful high school career at St John's College.
“I was stretched far beyond than I had imagined, and applying at Harvard felt like the next step to seek a world-class institution. What I have discovered is that South African education is really globally competitive,” he said.
Bongwe said he was going to spend the next two years exploring his options in different disciplines.
“I am currently interested in applied maths or applied economics or social studies,” he said.
The year 2021 was a difficult year for Thendo Ravhengani, a former pupil at Maragon Mooikloof Secondary School in Pretoria, as he was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes which saw him missing out on schooling for almost a month.
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“As I was still dealing with that I lost my grandmother. She was my inspiration and as a former teacher and principal, she had always encouraged me to do my best and work hard to achieve my academic goals,” Ravhengani said.
He decided to stop feeling sorry for himself.
“I decided not to use the pandemic, my illness or anything else as an excuse not to do my best, and I had to trust that God has a plan. So together with the help of my peers, and the caring teachers, I was able to bounce back and finish the year strong with three distinctions,” he said.
Despite being diagnosed with Covid-19, Iviwe Mabindisa, a former pupil at Pinnacle College Kyalami in Midrand, Johannesburg, achieved four distinctions.
“Isolating at home allowed me to focus on my school work more. To deal with the large workload, I had to sacrifice my weekends and work during the holidays. I also attended extra mathematics lessons at Master Maths Fourways, which helped me achieve my goal of getting a distinction in mathematics,” she said.
Mabindisa said she plans to pursue a bachelor of science in biochemistry and genetics with the University of Cape Town or a bachelor of science in biotechnology with the University of Pretoria.
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