South African First Lady Dr Tshepo Motsepe and Unisa BA Honours in Psychology graduate Livhuwani Maphorogo

On 18 March 2019, Dr Tshepo Motsepe, wife of President Cyril Ramaphosa, graced Unisa with her presence to attend the graduation of Livhuwani Maphorogo, who studied towards her BA Honours Degree in Psychology with full support from the Cyril Ramaphosa Education Trust.

In 1996, President Cyril Ramaphosa began supporting a small number of disadvantaged students with bursaries, so that they could attend university. He did this by donating the money he earned through his public speaking engagements. This developed into the Cyril Ramaphosa Education Trust (CRET) in 2000. Some 23 years after the President sponsored his first bursary, a spectacular and growing hall of fame exists, replete with CRET‐enabled graduates, whose dreams to be highly-qualified professionals have come true.

Passion personified

Livhuwani Maphorogo, who graduated with a BA Honours degree in Psychology, is a young woman with a passion for supporting and building up other women. She is part of a non-profit organisation called Dare - Restoring Worth. This organisation seeks to empower girls and young women. They do this through various programmes such as mentorship, career days and offering educational programmes to help the young women improve their academic results.

Speaking after the graduation ceremony, Maphorogo praised the Cyril Ramaphosa Education Trust. "CRET has been extremely kind to me," she said, "and I cannot thank them enough for their amazing support throughout my academic career. They are an education trust that takes the wellbeing of their beneficiaries seriously. I have been fortunate enough to be a recipient of their funding, and I can truly say that their holistic approach to the development of young people was beyond my wildest expectations. They mentor you and encourage a passion for life-long learning, and in so doing, help to bring out the best in you. I definitely appreciated the multiple gatherings, where young people such as myself sat and shared stories and learned from one another, but most importantly I appreciate having been given a chance."

Unisa is not only the largest university in Africa, but it produces the highest number of graduates in the country. For the 2019 autumn graduations, the number of qualifications is more than 30 000, which makes the institution an epicentre of knowledge production.

Provisionally included in this figure are 109 doctorates, 190 master’s degrees and 1 278 honours degrees. Graduates with both three and four-year bachelor's degrees number 9 566, while there are 16 389 undergraduate diplomas and certificates. Of the colleges, the College of Education has produced the most qualifications at 16 302, while Gauteng Region heads the overall list with 7 023 degrees.

In total, 30 690* students will receive qualifications during Unisa’s current graduations that began on 4 March and will finish on 28 June 2019.

Graduation ceremonies will be held in Pretoria, Mbombela, Polokwane, Cape Town, Durban, Nelspruit, East London and Bloemfontein.

*These statistics are still provisional.

Purpose equals success

Commenting on her study journey at Unisa, Maphorogo said that distance learning teaches one discipline and perseverance. "You have to have a renewed sense of purpose every day because your academic success is heavily reliant on you as an individual," she said. "Lecturers and study groups are very helpful. The academic standard is definitely one of the best."

On her choice of psychology as field of study, Maphorogo said that it allowed her the opportunity to examine her life and to learn how important the understanding of oneself and others is. "Human behaviour is an incredible subject to explore," she said, "and I’m glad I find it interesting because it’s tremendously rewarding. I have every intention of registering for a Master’s degree in Counselling Psychology, further my studies and expand my knowledge in the field."

In conclusion, Maphorogo said that learning and education are indispensable. "I believe that every young person deserves an opportunity to make something of themselves. We all deserve to have our dreams come true and being given a chance to succeed. Having the sun shine on you, even for a little while, feels great."

* Interview by Katlego Pilane, Assistant Communication and Marketing Specialist, College of Human Sciences
** Article packaged by Philip van der Merwe, Editor: External publications, Department of Institutional Advancement