“She Has a Good Aura”: Viral Graduate Talks About Hardships in a Glammed-Up Look, SA Moved

• A resilient 24-year-old graduate shared the raw emotions behind her big day, revealing the financial hardships that her family overcame to afford her regalia
• The video was shared on TikTok, leaving viewers deeply moved and inspired by her vulnerability and her gogo's warm support
• Social media users admired her humble spirit, with many viewers even suggesting that she has the grace and beauty to be the next Miss South Africa

A Pietermaritzburg woman’s journey from borrowing money for her graduation regalia to beaming with joy afterwards captured the heart of the nation.

The clip was shared on TikTok by @mzukwase_myeza on 8 May 2026, where it gained hundreds of comments from social media users who were excited to see her beaming with joy.

The UKZN graduate explained that what got her emotional on the day was remembering all the difficulties she went through last year while studying. She was also taken aback by the struggles of putting together her graduation regalia, adding that they even had to borrow money from her gogo, who gladly gave it to them.

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The graduate embraces the positive change in her life

The 24-year-old graduate thanked those who were around her and everyone who had supported her and jokingly promised to reward all of them. In the video shared by TikTok user @mzukwase_myeza, she continued to express her gratitude for the love and noted that she was overlooking the negative, before she shared that she was going to be on a local radio station.

Watch the TikTok video below:

SA loves the bubbly graduate

The clip went viral, garnering 1M views and over 1.5K comments from social media users who were deeply moved by the young woman's gratitude. Many viewers were in awe of her humility, noting that she has a good aura. Some said they were happy to see her smiling after her emotional graduation had left them heartbroken. Others complimented her on her beauty, noting that with her beautiful body structure, she could easily be the next Miss South Africa. One viewer shared that she would not be attending her honour graduation, adding that they took a toll on her and challenged her and that she would just break out if she were to attend.

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User @Mazaza commented:

"We are happy to see you smiling like this, and we love you in South Africa. I must say, thank you, everyone, for all the support, beautiful, loving country 💕."

User @chentyysdk added:

"Manje mina ngikhalelani (why am I now crying)😭❤️. She is so gorgeous ❤️🥹."

User @Fundiswa Siko added:

"The love she has for her family🙏🏼👌❤️She’s such a grateful person and has a very good energy! Good will bless you, my daughter, 🙏🏼🙌🏼❤️."

User @Sazi Mgaga shared:

"She has a good aura."

User @MbaliEnhle Makhoba said:

"Our future Miss SA🥺❤️."

User @ princessmlotshwa commented:

"I won't attend the graduation because I will definitely break out 🥺. The honours degree has been nothing but a rough journey for me, and I managed 🥰."

3 Briefly News articles about graduation

• A KwaZulu-Natal man went viral for giving humorous yet profound advice to students after completing his degree in seven years instead of the expected four.
• A former security guard has graduated with a visual arts qualification from Tswane University of Technology (TUT), a story that has inspired many social media users.
• A young woman juggling her studies while working at a restaurant shared a clip of herself working at RoccoMamas, cleaning toilets, windows and tables and then graduating, leaving many inspired online.

Source: Briefly News