By Thapelo Molefe
At just 17 years old, Thabang Mashigo has already etched his name among South Africa’s brightest young minds.
The Khutsalani Secondary School learner from Mbombela, Mpumalanga, was named one of the Top 40 Matric Achievers nationally during the Ministerial National Senior Certificate (NSC) results announcement, where he was also honoured as the third best mathematics pupil in the country.
Mashigo passed the 2025 NSC examinations with a Bachelor pass and seven distinctions, excelling in Accounting, Mathematics, Physical Sciences, Life Sciences, English First Additional Language, Siswati Home Language, and Life Orientation.
Behind the accolades, however, lies a story shaped by perseverance through personal loss.
During his matric year, Mashigo faced one of the most devastating challenges imaginable: the death of his father in the middle of his trial examinations. The loss came at a critical academic moment, threatening to derail years of hard work.
“I was emotional and struggled to focus at first. But I told myself that I had to do it for him and for myself,” he told Inside Education.
That resolve became his anchor. With the support of his family, especially his twin brother, Mashigo found the strength to adapt and continue.
“All he ever wanted was for me to succeed,” he said of his father. “This achievement means everything to me.”
Mashigo’s father was himself a mathematics teacher, making his recognition as the third best Grade 12 Mathematics learner nationally a deeply symbolic moment.
“I feel so grateful and emotional,” he said. “This is just the beginning of something great.”
Mashigo credits much of his success to teamwork, hard work, and resilience. Throughout the year, he studied collaboratively with friends, sharing resources and explaining concepts to one another — a method he believes strengthened his understanding.
“I’m a step-by-step person,” he said. “Explaining work to others helped me master it myself.”
He also received extensive academic support from his school. Teachers at Khutsalani Secondary School made themselves available beyond classroom hours, with his mathematics teacher, Mr Ngomane, playing a pivotal role.
“My maths teacher lived nearby, so I could even go to him at night when I didn’t understand something,” Mashigo said. “The teachers went the extra mile with no restrictions.”
Another crucial pillar was the Kutlwanong programme, a free initiative offering additional Mathematics and Physical Sciences lessons. Mashigo says the programme helped him overcome early struggles, particularly in Physical Sciences, which he found challenging in Grade 10.
“With Kutlwanong, I was able to adapt and truly understand the concepts,” he said. “It made a big difference.”
Despite excelling in analytical subjects, Mashigo admitted that not everything came easily. Life Orientation and English posed challenges, especially the subjective nature of assessment and literature components.
“Life Orientation needs flexibility, there’s no specific memo,” he said. “And English literature surprised me, especially the poems.”
Still, his consistency across subjects resulted in one of the strongest performances nationally.
Looking ahead, Mashigo has set his sights firmly on the future. He plans to pursue Actuarial Science, with aspirations to study at either the University of Cape Town or Wits University.
For current and future matriculants, his message is simple but powerful: “Try and fail, but never fail to try. Even if you struggle during the year, keep fighting until you achieve something.”
INSIDE EDUCATION
