SA Doctor Dr Siyabonga Khoza Visits 50 Schools to Inspire Over 10,000 Learners

• Dr Siyabonga Khoza, a 25-year-old medical doctor and chemical pathologist, set himself a bold challenge at the start of 2026
• The Wits University department head drove long hours on free weekends and after work to reach schools across multiple provinces
• His mission to teach mathematics and inspire young South Africans from under-resourced communities struck a chord online

Dr Siyabonga Khoza is a medical doctor, chemical pathologist, and head of a university department. In 2026, he added another role: school visitor on a mission.

The 25-year-old, who leads the Department of Chemical Pathology at the University of the Witwatersrand and the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS), set himself a target at the start of the year to visit 50 schools across South Africa, reach more than 10,000 young people, teach mathematics, and deliver one consistent message: where you come from does not determine how far you can go.

On 28 October 2026, he shared a collection of photos from that journey, writing:

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"What started as a dream became a journey across South Africa, from one classroom to another, one school to the next."

From scrubs to chalk dust

Dr Khoza did not hand this work off to anyone else. He drove long hours to different towns on free weekends and sometimes straight after finishing his shifts at work. His stops included a historically significant school in Soweto, at the heart of the 1976 Soweto Uprising, which he described as a great honour to visit. One event alone drew 10 schools from a single district.

He anchored the project in a quote by Charlotte Maxeke:

"This work is not for yourselves, kill that spirit of self, do not live above your people but live amongst them and if you can rise, bring someone with you."

Dr Khoza holds degrees from the University of Zululand and Wits University, and is currently pursuing a PhD focused on early biomarkers for chronic kidney disease using proteomics. He has also received the Discovery Foundation Academic Fellowship for his research work.

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See the post here.

Mzansi responds to Dr Khoza's mission

South Africans in the comments on the Instagram page were moved by what he had done:

@ntsiki_khasu said:

"Please register an NPO so that you can get funding to support this amazing work 👏🏽"

@sonke_styles_ wrote:

"Well done for giving back Doc 👏🏾👏🏾 God bless your heart 🙏🏾"

@kevin_baloyi_ commented:

"🙌🏾 I love the work you doing, bro ❤️"

@realjustlu added:

"Well done leadership, well done 💪🏾"

@busisiwegcabashe wrote:

"You are living your destiny ndodana [son], wherever God leads you, follow him 👏👏👏"

@keri.08 said:

"You are a big deal and such a blessing!"

@thebeikalafeng shared:

"You're an inspiration. I'm a fan."

More on South African learners and education

• Briefly News recently reported that Hoedspruit Christian School mourned learner Troy Matthysen, who was remembered for his strength and faith after a long illness.
• A matric learner from Kimberley living in a shack pushed through social anxiety to submit a university application, with a stranger gifting him R3,000.
• A 19-year-old aspiring chef died in a KwaZulu-Natal head-on crash after completing her final practical exam, while three others were left critically injured.

Source: Briefly News