Class of 2025 top achievers overcome water, electricity challenges to shine
The top achievers from the Class of 2025 have outlined a lack of water and electricity as one of the biggest challenges they faced on their journey to academic success.
At a ministerial breakfast in Johannesburg on Monday, Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube praised the pupils for their resilience while acknowledging the role of parents, guardians, and teachers in helping them reach this milestone.
“Today, we celebrate not just the summit our top achievers reached, but the pursuit of excellence that brought them here,” the minister said.
“Behind every high-achieving learner is a home that made sacrifices. A home that chose discipline over comfort and encouragement over despair.
“You carried emotional, financial, and psychological weight so that your children could focus on learning. Your love, structure, and consistency formed the foundation upon which these learners’ achievements stand.”
Sesona Masingili, 18, from Soqhayisa Senior Secondary School in the Eastern Cape, described being named a top achiever as an emotional and rewarding moment.
“I’ve been aspiring to be here since Grade 11,” Masingili said.
“Watching the top achievers being celebrated, I always told myself I wanted that too. Today, I finally made it. I feel very proud. It’s a moment I will remember for the rest of my life.”
But Masingili said the journey was far from easy.
“One of the challenges I faced was access to resources. Electricity cuts in Motherwell often disturbed my studies, especially at night.
"I didn’t have battery-powered lights or paraffin lamps, so sometimes I just had to sleep when the power went out. On top of that, peer pressure and distractions were always around. Staying disciplined and focused on my goal was very challenging, but I managed to pull through.”
Masingili hopes to study accounting at the University of Pretoria, with the goal of qualifying as a chartered accountant.
“Accounting has always fascinated me since Grade 10. It challenges the way I think, and I really enjoy it. I want to study hard and also live a balanced university life, because these past two years have been very stressful.”
Seventeen-year-old Sanele Vilakazi from Makause Combined School in Mpumalanga described his disbelief when he received an email from the Department of Basic Education inviting him to the ministerial breakfast.
“At first, I thought it was a prank or a scam. I couldn’t believe that I was being recognised by the minister. When I told my family, they were so proud, they all jumped and celebrated with me. It was the best moment of my life,” he said.
Vilakazi spoke candidly about the difficulties of growing up in an informal settlement.
“I had to fetch water from the river before I could even study.
“There is no water and electricity in my community. Every morning, I had to wake up very early and fetch water from the river before I could bathe and go to school.
“After school, I had to do the same before starting my studies at night.
“I often had to rely on candles or rechargeable lights provided by teachers. Balancing schoolwork with these challenges was tough, but I never gave up.”
Vilakazi plans to study data engineering at the University of Stellenbosch.
“I love working with computers, and data engineering is my dream career. I want to succeed not just for myself but also to show others in my community that it is possible to overcome obstacles,” he said.
Meanwhile, Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube acknowledged the role of teachers, calling them “the quiet architects of excellence”.
“Excellence is not reserved for a privileged few. It is earned through discipline, resilience, and focus. South Africa needs not only your intelligence but also your character.
“Carry forward not just your results, but the habits that produced them: Curiosity, effort, humility, and grit.”
ALSO READ
