“You Can Never Be Friends With Your Enemy”: Lesotho Kid’s Attitude Towards Maths Leaves SA in Awe

• A young primary school student from Soofia, a Lesotho international school, delivered a speech about mathematics that had people online completely stunned
• The boy explained that hating maths is the reason most students struggle with it, and that the brain accepts whatever you tell it
• People across the continent flooded the comments with many saying the child was wiser than most adults they knew
• Briefly News spoke to foundation phase educator Cieoreese Summersgill on how teachers and parents can help younger students study so they do not start disliking subjects like maths

A young boy from Soofia International School in Butha-Buthe, Lesotho, became an unexpected internet sensation after his teacher @limamelankhanare posted a video of him on 9 March 2026. In the clip, the primary school student stood up and delivered what can only be described as a full motivational speech about mathematics.

He told his classmates that if they wanted to be good at maths, they needed to start by liking it. He compared maths to a person, saying you cannot expect someone you dislike to share anything good with you. He said that most students had already convinced themselves they were bad at maths, and that their brains had accepted that as truth. His point was simple: the brain does not fact-check. It just takes in what you feed it and runs with it.

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The pupil also shared a clever take on being "lazy" in maths. He explained that you don't have to be lazy in the sense of doing nothing. You must be lazy in the sense of always looking for the simplest and most efficient way to solve a problem. He said that is exactly why formulas exist.

He ended by asking every student in the room to say out loud that they were good at maths. He explained that repeating something positive, even if you do not fully believe it yet, starts to shift the way your brain approaches the subject. It was a level of self-awareness that left many adults watching the clip impressed.

Speaking to Briefly News writer Nerissa Naidoo, educator Cieoreese Summersgill discussed how teachers and parents can help younger students study so they do not start disliking subjects like maths. She said:

"Teachers and parents can help younger students by making sure learners revise their work regularly. Teachers can allow learners to go over their work in the mornings, and parents can do the same at home for about 30 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes before bedtime. This helps learners stay familiar with the work and build confidence instead of feeling overwhelmed."

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Briefly News also asked how teachers and parents can make maths more interesting for young learners. Summersgill explained:

"Teachers and parents can make maths fun by using it in daily life. For example, when cooking, a parent can ask a child to bring two potatoes, then cut them into four pieces and ask how many pieces there are. Simple activities like this help learners see maths in everyday situations and make the subject easier and more enjoyable to understand."

Watch the TikTok clip below:

SA loves the pupil's attitude towards math

Mzansi shared their love and admiration for the little boy on TikToker @limamelankhanare's post, whose words were motivating even to adults:

@mmagomorwa said:

"He is smarter than my mother-in-law."

@E added:

"He used to work at Eskom in 2003."

@Mo_Kuate wrote:

"Blessed is the womb that carried him ❤️❤️"

@MmaneB Brenda asked:

"Can this guy come to coach Kaizer Chiefs???"

@Zanele noted:

"I'm convinced that he once read 'The Power of the Subconscious Mind' 🤏"

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@BAB'KHUZWAYO👴 admitted:

"I used to be like this, and my village did what they know best."

@Milton joked:

"This kid can be Jacob Zuma's tutor."

@MargieNkwali-MJ said:

"Take him to university, he's ready."

More on education and young minds

• Briefly News reported on a woman who went back to school at 38 and was mocked for it, but what she signed three years later had the last laugh written all over it.
• Anele Mdoda shared how her son went from crying over maths homework to winning a maths award.
• A South African university student shared what it is really like studying at a bilingual institution, and the reality had people talking about fairness in education.

Source: Briefly News