Helping other pupils to realise their educational dreams is a way of life for 18-year-old Rendani Nefale (18) of Nzhelele.

A chartered accountant in the making, Nefale is a second-year BCom student at the University of Cape Town. As part of his community service, Nefale voluntarily uses all his university vacations to assist learners at his previous school with revision work, bursary applications, career choices and tertiary admission applications for those in Grade 12.

He completed his Grade 12 at Mopane Intermediate School, near Musina, in 2010. 

He obtained distinctions in Mathematics, Economics and Life Orientation and B symbols in Tshivenda, English, Accounting and Computer Application Technology.

He says he is doing the community service voluntarily and his wish is to contribute towards an educated future nation. “This is the best I can offer to my former school. I learnt a lot of things at the university, and I want to encourage those younger than me to choose their careers wisely. I have been doing this since last year and it is paying off.”

Nefale also organises extra lessons for the pupils at no cost. “We do afternoon and Saturday classes and I try to push the syllabus as fast as possible, so that when their teachers teach them, they are familiar with the subject matter. I have also received a positive response from teachers, who say I am making their work very simple.”

He says he prides himself on several learners who passed Grade 12 at the school last year who are now at tertiary institutions. “I have received several calls from them, thanking me for the kind assistance. I even helped others to apply for bursaries and they are today studying at tertiary institutions.”

He stresses the importance of education: “Because I passed Grade 12 with flying colours, I even turned down a job offer by a UK company which promised me a R50 000 monthly salary. The most important thing for now is to complete my studies and continue to give support to high school learners to realise their educational dreams.”