“I Got Goosebumps!”: Pretoria Affies Boys’ Moving Send-Off for Their 2025 Matrics Goes Viral
- The entire Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool in Pretoria gathered to give their matric class of 2025 an emotional farewell
- The matric students, wearing their green blazers, stood in the centre while the rest of the school sang a heartfelt song
- The touching moment pulled in over 3,000 reactions, with people getting goosebumps from the beautiful farewell
Source: Getty Images
A school of boys standing in a massive circle on school grounds, all sang together to give their matric class one final send-off before exams on 16 October 2025. This beautiful moment happened at Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool (Affies) in Pretoria, and the scene has left South Africans absolutely moved.
The school's sports team Facebook page, @Affies.Klub600, posted the video, showing the entire school gathered in the open area between buildings. The matric students, easy to spot in their green blazers, stood in the middle of the circle formed by all the other boys. Then, the singing started.
Everyone sang together, pouring emotion into every word. The caption accompanying the video read:
"Goodbye and Good Luck, Matric Class of 2025. Dear matriculants, the time has come to say goodbye to the school benches—to the classrooms where you grew, the friendships that were formed, and the memories that will be a part of you forever. But before you take on the next chapter, there lies one last mountain ahead: the final exam. And we know—you're ready."
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The message continued with well wishes:
"May your exams not only test what you know, but also show how far you have come. May you have courage when the questions get difficult, and calmness when the time is pressing. May you remember that you are more than just grades—you are dreams, potential and future."
Mzansi gets emotional over Affies' matric farewell
The video quickly went viral, and people couldn't stop talking about how beautiful and touching the moment was.
@sylvia_flavell asked:
"It is beautiful, but why are they singing the Scottish national anthem?"
@joyce_boonzaaier wrote:
"Thank you very much, Affies, for an incredible 5 years. As young boys, they in-step and today as young men they step out."
@rina_lubbe said:
"Wow, this gives goosebumps, beautiful!!! My grandson enjoyed his school years and was part of a unique group of matriculants. Sad. Now the beauty of the University and growth lies ahead."
@liza_mari_smit added:
"Wow, goosebumps. My child is not in Affies. This is wow!"
@gerrie_le_grange wrote:
"Good luck, boys, with your year-end exam. I have stood some of you boys in cricket games. It was an honour and a privilege to umpire some of you. Great respect for your opponents, the officials and the game."
About the Affies song and school
The boys were singing to the tune of Flower of Scotland, which explains why some people recognised it as Scotland's national anthem. According to Wikipedia, the song, written in the mid-1960s by folk musician Roy Williamson, describes the victory of Robert the Bruce over Edward II at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314. It's commonly used as Scotland's unofficial national anthem and is super popular at sporting events, especially rugby matches.
Facebook page @Affies.Klub600 shares content on Affies, as the school is nicknamed, which was founded in 1920 and is the first purely Afrikaans-medium high school in South Africa. The school's motto is "Laat daar lig wees" (Let there be light), and it's known for producing top athletes and academics. Notable alumni include Springbok rugby players like Fourie du Preez and Pierre Spies, and cricket stars like AB de Villiers.
Disclaimer: This article includes comments from users who publicly posted on the Affies.Klub600 Facebook page. The commenters were not contacted for further comment. The video featured was publicly shared by the school's official sports team page and does not individually identify any students. No personal or sensitive information about minors has been included in this article.
Watch the Facebook reel below:
More SA matric moments
- Briefly News recently reported on two Grade 12 learners who made a grand entrance at their matric dance by arriving in trolleys.
- A Grade 12 pupil stunned Mzansi with a presidential-style matric dance entrance, complete with motorbikes, trucks, and a black jeep, setting a new bar for matric arrivals.
- A UKZN medical student shared the textbooks and resources she used to score seven distinctions in her matric exams, and students thanked her for the valuable plug.
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Source: Briefly News
