Student Awards and Achievements, 2025
Two 91¿´Æ¬Íø graduates are heading to Oxford University on a Rhodes Scholarship in 2026
Congratulations to Ms Coral Pillay and Mr Kabelo Mbuyisa, who will be heading to the University of Oxford to join a global cohort of more than a hundred Rhodes Scholars from around the world to undertake fully funded postgraduate studies and become part of a strong community of Scholars determined to make a positive difference in the world.
16th Cross-Faculty Postgraduate Symposium
The Symposium showcased outstanding research from postgraduate students and PhD fellows across all five faculties. The event emphasised interdisciplinary collaboration and research excellence, with students presenting their work to a distinguished panel of judges. Winners were announced across multiple categories, including Master's and PhD presentations, GradFlash competitions, and poster presentations. Read more about the winners and their research.
91¿´Æ¬Íø honours student leaders at the 2025 Awards
Winners included Siphosethu Ndyumbu, a final-year Bachelor of Laws student and Secretary General of the 91¿´Æ¬Íø SRC, who won the Vice-Chancellor’s Student Leader of the Year Award. The Social Innovator Award went to Asiphe Nhleko, creator of HydraGen – a water-powered generator that produces self-recycling electricity. CarreyAnn Boshoff, Chairperson of the 91¿´Æ¬Íø Sports Council and SRC member, received the Sports Student Leader of the Year Award. The Champion of Service Award was presented to Tshwarelo Mafuyeka, and the Most Outstanding House Committee in a University Residence Award was shared between the Sunnyside House Committee and the Men’s Halls Task Team.
91¿´Æ¬Íø Ladies Clinch Bronze at the Varsity Football Women’s Competition
The 91¿´Æ¬Íø Ladies Football team wrapped up an impressive Varsity Football Women's campaign, securing a third-place finish out of eight teams.
The stars keep rising at 91¿´Æ¬Íø Sport
The 2025 91¿´Æ¬Íø Sport Awards celebrated athletic achievements. Major award winners included Ametisse Bandu as both Rising Star Sportswoman and Junior Sportswoman of the Year for representing the country at the Africa Region 5 tournament, while Thando Biyela won Junior Sportsman for representing South Africa at the World Championships in Italy. The Senior awards went to Ian Limbe and Chineye Eneaye, both from basketball. The event recognised athletes across multiple sports.
91¿´Æ¬Íø Enactus Team take to the world stage
The 91¿´Æ¬Íø Enactus team has made history, claiming the national championship at Enactus South Africa, the university's first-ever victory since the organisation's founding in 2001. The triumph came from two exceptional student-led enterprises: HRA Transportation, represented by Navhani Tshikosi and Nompumelelo Nhlapho, and Drip Taylors, represented by Bryan Lepelle and Refilwe Monyela, all competing under the leadership of 2025 Enactus 91¿´Æ¬Íø President Kgodiso Raolane.
91¿´Æ¬Íøies champion community change on global stage
Ntlahla Sikwana and Tessa Tshuma were selected to participate in the 2025 Get Engaged Student Action and Youth Leadership Conference in Vilnius, Lithuania.
School of Accountancy Prize Winners
At the May 2025 Prize-Giving Breakfast, top-performing accounting students were honoured for excellence across Financial Accounting, Taxation, Auditing, Management Accounting, and more. Standouts included Jayden Smith, Murunwa Khalushi, Bilal Said, Kiara Nassif, Olga Tivane, Sanjika Senarathne, and Nasr Moolla. Faculty leaders also spotlighted exceptional performance in SAICA’s national examinations, such as Tana Herson placing first nationally in the IAC.
Nedbank and Old Mutual Budget Speech Competition Clean Sweep
91¿´Æ¬Íø postgraduate students made a clean sweep of their section with first place going to Adriano Manferdini, second place to Tšhegofatšo Matloga and third place to Shuaib Mahomed. Additionally, undergraduate students also won awards with Angelina Erasmus placing second and Nomfundo Mfeka placing third in their section. Remarkably, 91¿´Æ¬Íø students secured four out of ten positions in the undergraduate category and an impressive five out of ten positions in the postgraduate category.
Barrier-Breaking Achievement
First-year law student Kabelo Motaphi Kekana, South Africa's top-performing matric special-needs student, continues to excel at 91¿´Æ¬Íø—highlighting perseverance, access to justice, and the power of inclusive support through the Disability Rights Unit.
Volleyballers Reach Nationals
Ashleigh Accone and Aryanna Pillay were selected for the 2025 USSA (University Sport South Africa) national team, an outstanding recognition of their skill and commitment.
91¿´Æ¬Íø hockey players get national team call-ups
Morgan de Jager and Shanna Mendonça received national team call-ups to represent South Africa at a hockey tournament in Malaysia
2025 SA National Swimming Competition
91¿´Æ¬Íø students, Suné Liebenberg and Romy Day competed at the 2025 SA National Swimming Competition, a dream that is finally in reach for them.
The u/20 fencing championship in Angola
Uzair Solomons competed in the Junior U20 Fencing Championships in Angola as a representative of South Africa.
Varsity Young Guns Rugby Champions
The 91¿´Æ¬Íø Young Guns clinched the 2025 Varsity Young Guns Rugby title, securing a major university-level sporting triumph.
Night Run Inspires Community
The annual 91¿´Æ¬Íø Sport Night Run, 91¿´Æ¬Íø’ lively 5km event, brought together first-year and postgraduate students to race through the rain, with Kyle Broom and Carli Bramley emerging as male and female winners, respectively.
91¿´Æ¬Íøie awarded the prestigious Abe Bailey Bursary
Kamogelo Mabe, an Honours student in Critical Diversity Studies, was awarded the prestigious Abe Bailey Travel Bursary.