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Meet the top Gauteng Province matriculant who scored 100% in mathematics but claims the subject was difficult.
Mthokozisi Ndlovu (18), a former pupil from Bhukulani Secondary School in Jabulani, Soweto obtained seven distinctions out of seven subjects. Ndlovu is the pride of Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi and Education MEC Matome Chiloane and Bhukulani Secondary School, a school that constantly produces distinctions in matric exams, earning it a name in the province and media headlines.
During last week's announcement of the 2023 matric results held at the Microsoft Corporate Offices in Bryanston, Lesufi and Chiloane awarded Ndlovu a certificate for being among the top learners in mathematics in the province.
The certificate was accompanied by a laptop, gift voucher, EarPods, headphones, and a router from Telkom, as well as varsity combo accessories such as a kettle, blanket, heater, and iron from Harmony Gold Mining Company.
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Asked whether mathematics was easy, he said it "was very difficult. Honestly, it was the most difficult subject I know. I always loved maths. Since I was in primary school, I used to get very good marks. I was passing maths effortlessly even in high school, but passing is often not right".
Therefore, in Grade 10, he attended a maths extra-class programme where they "reshaped my love for mathematics with my given talent," and he became perfect.
Ndlovu’s hard work really paid off.
He said that as he studied, he aimed to work towards obtaining an award from Minister Angie Motshekga. Instead, he met Chiloane and Lesufi and "my experience with the premier and the MEC was pretty nice. It was really nice meeting them, and most importantly, even touching them. I even got a chance to speak with the MEC. He [the MEC] asked me career questions, and he also promised to fund me. We also took pictures together. So yes, it was really nice," said an elated Ndlovu.
For subjects such as accounting, physical sciences, and life orientation, he scored 93%. In languages, as well as geography, he obtained nothing less than 81%, showing that he loves numbers more than words. He obtained 86% in geography, 85% in English first additional language and 81% in isiZulu.
The top achiever said that it felt amazing to obtain seven distinctions for all subjects, but he did not expect that. This is because previously he never obtained lots of distinctions. He said he always had challenges with his home language, isiZulu as it "was the most challenging subject for me".
Ndlovu said:
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His selection of subjects stemmed from knowing that "I could do any course I want to do".
"I honestly did not have a study method. But each day, I would allocate maybe two hours for me to study. I would then spend those hours revising and recalling everything my teacher taught me for that day," he said.
He added there were moments where he could not cope. "There were times when I would just break down for no reason. But this stemmed from a lack of sleep. So, I would advise fellow matriculants to make sure that they get enough sleep."
Ndlovu wants to study actuarial science at the University of Cape Town.
"The reason why I want to do actuarial science is because I love maths. Honestly, the skills that actuaries have and are taught at varsity are the skills that I want to acquire."
His parents are elated by his achievement. He adds" "My parents congratulated me. They have always been with me since day one, so they are really proud. Matric is really challenging, but if you become a top achiever, you get many benefits. So, matriculants of 2024 should work hard and give it all their best."
