A diverse group of 31 students from around the country are the first bursary recipients of reigning Miss South Africa Natasha Joubert’s educational advocacy campaign, the Natasha Joubert Collective.
Joubert launched a partnership last year with her alma mater, Boston City Campus, that allows 16 South African learners, aged 18 and older, to receive one-year academic scholarships to study at Boston City Campus. These scholarships are for distance e-learning studies towards a full-time undergraduate qualification. The Study Buddy Fund also partnered with the Miss South Africa Organisation to fund another 15 students’ studies at Boston City Campus.
The 31 recipients, who will be studying at Boston campuses around South Africa, and what they will be studying are:
- Marcelle Bruwer (HCertLogistics)
- Nana Cele (HCertFinPlanning)
- Mamello Dini (HCertBusMan)
- Dineo Galane (HCertMarketing)
- Allasandra George (HCertBusMan)
- Stacy Govender (HCertParalegal)
- Rashmita Govender (HCertFinPlanning)
- Lindokuhle Kgasu (HCertMarketing)
- Sadé Lee Kieser (HCertParalegal)
- Botshelo Lekoane (HCertMarketing)
- Shumeez Linnett (HCertFinPlanning)
- Yonela Louw (HCertMarketing)
- Ntsoame Magatsele (HCertParalegal)
- Shandre Marais (IntroWeb)
- Hlulani Mavunda (HCertFinPlanning)
- Nokubongwa Mbhamali (Television Production)
- Thando Mngomezulu (Content Creation)
- Katlego Mofomme (Content Creation)
- Kamogelo Mohlala (Television Production)
- Tshenolo Nkwe (HCertParalegal)
- Nikita October (HCertParalegal)
- Segametsi Phetoe (HCertFinPlanning)
- Brenda Phiri (HCertMarketing)
- Anita Roberts (HCertFinPlanning)
- Kyla Roos (BComm)
- Makhadzi Siaruli (HCertBusMan)
- Sindi Sibeko (HCertBusMan)
- Samkelisiwe Thabethe (HCertParalegal)
- Shaun Toka (HCertParalegal)
- Olwakho Tshayangezitho (HCertParalegal)
- Griet Vorster (HCertParalegal)
The 31 beneficiaries were delighted, saying that the opportunity could change their lives.
One is Soweto actress and entrepreneur Thando Mngomezulu who has chosen to study Content Creation at Boston in order to start her own social media channels and produce podcasts to help those living with skin conditions to reach their full potential: “I want to be able to create and build my YouTube channel, TikTok following and produce podcasts. I will use these as platforms for people living with different types of skin conditions and create awareness around them as I talk from personal experience and have been living with psoriasis for over a decade.”
Thanks to the opportunity, Kwa Zulu-Natal’s Stacy Govender will become the first person in her family to receive a tertiary education and is going to study for a Higher Certificate in Paralegal Practice: “It is hard for me to express how much this opportunity means to me. There’s not much female empowerment in my community. Thanks to Natasha giving me a chance, I hope to show young women that it is possible to change your life and achieve what you set out to do.”
Bronkhorstspruit’s Shaun Karabo Toka is also set to study Paralegal Practice: “This scholarship means the world to me. It represents a chance to further my education, pursue my dreams, and make a positive impact in my community. I am truly grateful for this opportunity and the doors it will open for me.”
George resident Shandre Marais will soon be using her bursary to is study web and graphic design: “I’d like to thank the Natasha Joubert Collective for the opportunity, as well as the honour of being part of the first-ever group to receive this sponsorship. And a big thank you to Miss South Africa and Boston for choosing me to be a part of it all. Being part of the class of 2024 makes me feel incredibly honoured and blessed. Dream it and believe it!”
Joubert says she was overwhelmed by the number of entries received and touched by the motivational letters that accompanied the entries: “It was incredibly difficult choosing the bursary winners, as education should never be a privilege limited to the fortunate few, but I am delighted we have been able to play a small part in transforming 31 lives with these study grants. I wish the first class of the Natasha Joubert Collective of 2024 everything of the best and I look forward to hearing what they achieve in the years ahead.”
She reiterated she was determined to ensure it was not only the best performing candidates that received scholarships: “I have always said that I wanted it to be inclusive and not only available to the top achievers. I also wanted scholarships for less traditional studies, so you will see that this batch includes subjects such as Content Creation, Television Production, Higher Certificates in Financial Planning, Business Management, Marketing Practices and Paralegal Practices.”
Joubert also said she is hoping to travel to the different Boston campuses to meet the bursary winners later this year.
Nozicelo Ngcobo, CCBSA Public Affairs, Communication and Sustainability Director, said: “The Study Buddy Fund forms part of our economic inclusion commitments to support students from diverse backgrounds and is focused on enhancing young people’s prospects of finding sustainable employment once they finish studying.”
Boston City Campus, a nationwide private provider of quality higher education, was founded in 1991 and currently has 47 support centres, more than 20 000 registered students, over 25 qualifications and many short learning programmes for quick skills acquisitions from which to select.
Miss South Africa is presented by Weil Entertainment in association with Sun International. SABC3 is the official broadcast partner.