Forbes Africa 30 Under 30: Thabo Moloi Becomes Youngest Ever Recipient

Forbes Africa 30 Under 30: Thabo Moloi Becomes Youngest Ever Recipient

- A 19-year-old gaming champion has certainly impressed Mzansi, claiming his spot amongst South Africa's most influential youth

- The Esports athlete has just been named one of Africa's Forbes 30 under 30 recipients and is the youngest ever to do so

- Asked what he thought about the achievement, the humbled young man admitted he's just happy to be receiving the award alongside a friend

PAY ATTENTION: Click “See First” under the “Following” tab to see Briefly.co.za News on your News Feed!

Forbes Africa 30 under 30

Red Bull’s pioneering Esports athlete Thabo Moloi was announced as one of FORBES AFRICA’s Top 30 under 30 list for 2021 and at only 19 years old, makes him the youngest ever recipient.

Forbes Africa 30 Under 30: Thabo Moloi Becomes Youngest Ever Recipient
This gaming champion just made it into Forbes. Images: UGC
Source: UGC

Moloi and fellow Goliath Gaming teammate Julio Bianchi are the first Esports recipients to achieve this accolade.

Incredible beginnings in the gaming world

The Esports athlete first burst onto the scene in 2018, claiming a first-place win on PS4 in his very first tournament. The VS Gaming FIFA Festival in which Thabo competed qualified the 16-year old for the official FIFA eWorld Cup Global Series that same year.

Read also

Boss moves: Young man saves NSFAS money to start own business, Mzansi showers the entrepreneur with praise

This is the first time Esports has featured on Forbes Africa 30 Under 30 list and the youngster counts himself as one of the first recipients from the gaming world.

The young man is humbled by his achievement

“I can’t describe what this means to me. It’s a huge deal and an absolute honour to be inducted as one of the people in the Forbes Africa 30 Under 30 Class of 2021, alongside my brother, Julio Bianchi”.

PAY ATTENTION: Never miss breaking news – join Briefly News' Telegram channel

Another young prodigy

In similar news about young people making incredible achievements, Briefly News previously reported that Hjalmar Rall is a 17-year-old South African student who has already bagged his first degree.

Adjusting to varsity life

Enrolling at a university at only 14 years old posed a unique challenge for him as he struggled to fit into an institution where there were older people around him. However, he learnt to cope with the environment on campus and says:

Read also

uBettina Wethu SABC1 series: cast, trailer, episodes, full story, teasers

“At the end of my second year I had settled in completely.”

Future academic plans

The young genius graduated with a BSc degree in physics at the University of Pretoria. However, he's far from done and now plans on studying towards his honours.

Taking to social media, Rall's proud dad boasted about his son's academic achievements.

Well wishes from the online community

Mzansi social media users also chipped in on the cute post, wishing the youngster well on all his future prospects and marvelling at the young brainiac.

Mpho Maake said:

"Our very own Einstein, we are proud of you boy."

Mmatlou Prudence said:

"I remember him, he joined university at the age of 14."

Rupert Lancashire said:

"He is surely blessed."

Danny Macario humorously wrote:

"He is of foreign descent possibly. Congrats and all the best for your future, may you return to SA to pass on the skills someday."

Enjoyed reading our story? Download BRIEFLY's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major South African news!

Source: Briefly News

Authors:
Naomi Kobbie avatar

Naomi Kobbie Naomi is an entertainment writer with 3 years experience in the world of radio and print media. She is a language graduate from the University of Pretoria (2020) and has worked for Briefly News since 2021. Naomi has a passion for the written word, whether through her work as a journalist or as a soulful singer. "When I'm not working, I spend my time producing music, travelling or snuggling up with a good movie and some butter popcorn."