"It's For Motivation": SADTU Teacher Pays R200 From His Own Pocket to Students Who Got Distinctions

• A South African teacher went viral after keeping his promise to reward learners who earned distinctions with R200 each
• The video, shared on 3 August 2026, showed the SADTU teacher counting out cash for his students in the classroom
• South Africans flooded the comments with their own stories of teachers who went above and beyond to motivate them

A South African teacher has warmed hearts across the country after a post showed him paying out R200 in cash to each of his learners who earned a distinction.

The clip was posted on X by @Am_Blujay on 3 August 2026 and quickly spread across social media.

In the post, the teacher, wearing a red SADTU (South African Democratic Teachers Union) jersey, is seen counting money and papers in the classroom. The caption read:

"POV: You promised to give your learners R200 if they get a distinction."

A promise kept in the classroom

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The teacher had made the pledge to his students beforehand, using it as motivation to push them towards academic excellence. When the results came in and students delivered, he honoured his word out of his own salary.

The clip struck a chord with many South Africans, particularly given the backdrop of the country's matric results. South Africa's national matric pass rate reached a historic high of 88% for the Class of 2025, announced in January 2026. KwaZulu-Natal led all provinces with a 90.6% pass rate, while the Eastern Cape recorded the lowest at 84.17%.

Despite the headline figures, critics note that when accounting for learners who drop out before reaching Grade 12, the true completion rate sits closer to 54% to 58%, making the role of motivating teachers even more significant.

Mzansi shares their own stories

The post prompted a wave of South Africans sharing memories of teachers who had gone the extra mile for them.

@nubian6 asked:

"But is this allowed by the department?" to which @Am_Blujay replied: "Yes."

@Datasolsa shared:

"I used to get R1000 for each of my modules at the College, the other year I got 6 distinctions meaning I got R6000 in cash and credited it to my college fees, it is really a motivation."

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@Bonny1gp4 recalled:

"My teacher got me a place to stay in JHB after passing accounting with distinction in my matric and out of her own money organised me to be able to study further from village EC to Jhb."

@Tebogo133 added:

"I got R350 from my maths teacher after getting a distinction."

@LoratoMaphunye summed it up simply:

"Brilliant 👏🏽👏🏽 motivation, to some of those kids there is no food in their houses, some girls they can't afford toiletries so, everyone has their own opinion but well done Mister for pushing your kids to do well."

See the X post below:

More on SA schools and teachers

• Briefly News recently reported on a Richards Bay pupil whose classical opera performance with a live school orchestra left TikTok both confused and amazed.
• An 8-year-old boy who went missing in Nyanga was found alive two days later, after surviving in an unlikely location using nothing but a heater.
• Meanwhile, the Hoërskool Waterkloof community mourned the loss of a beloved teacher, remembered by students and colleagues as someone who shaped countless lives.

Source: Briefly News