“I Still Believe”: Top Matric Achiever Shows How Life Turned Out and Has SA Emotional

• A young woman who finished matric as a top achiever opened up about losing every bursary and university opportunity she had worked for
• Despite the setbacks, she found a way to keep going, teaching herself computer and working hard to build a future on her own terms
• South Africans flooded the comments with pride, advice and strong opinions about the system that let her down

A young woman's honest account of life after matric stopped South Africans mid-scroll and had many people emotional. TikTok creator Ana, who lives in a small town in South Africa, posted the video on 15 March 2026. She shared what happened after she finished school as one of her class's top achievers. She had bursaries lined up, university acceptances from institutions including Wits, and had won a leadership programme twice, in Grade 11 and Grade 12. Then one issue changed everything. Ana explained that her parents' immigration status meant she could not access any of the opportunities she had worked for throughout high school.

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The bursaries fell away, the university plans fell through, and the leadership programme was no longer an option either. She found herself having to work as a domestic worker to survive. It was something she said that gave her a deep respect for every woman doing that job to take care of her family. Through all of it, she kept pushing. She started teaching herself computer science through an online programme, learned to manage her own finances, and saved up over several tough months to buy herself a laptop. She also had to find a way to make sure her family had internet access. She ended by saying that even though life did not go the way she planned, she still believes it is leading her somewhere great.

Watch the TikTok clip below:

SA saddened by top matric achiever's story

People were deeply moved by TikToker Ana's story and had a lot to say in the comments:

@user300085198345 asked:

"What status vele?"

@Ana Learns Python replied:

"Parents' migration status 😏"

@Noma Ndlovu wrote:

"Following you, sis 🥺"

@Bellz Ntuli said:

"So proud of you, stranger ❤️❤️❤️"

@Naledi.za added:

"So proud of you 🥹❤️"

@yonelamsiya wrote:

"I'm proud of you 🫂🤍"

@fakuofakayomlulek said:

"Eish ❤️"

@Thato💜💜 advised:

"Nah sis, apply for government funding. It's unconstitutional for a bursary to be denied because of your status."

@BeautyBee suggested:

"I know some kids with parents originally from Botswana, Namibia, and eSwatini who are able to apply for funding from their respective countries. Can't you apply through your embassy?"

More on domestic workers in SA

• Briefly News recently reported on South Africa's new minimum wage increase for domestic workers and what one domestic worker said about what the extra money actually means for her family had many emotional.
• Sis Thembi had her boss, Malcolm, jumping out of his seat in fear, and what she used to scare him had South Africans completely unable to stop laughing.
• South African podcasters called out employers for underpaying domestic workers even after the new minimum wage came into effect, and the stats they shared about the pay gap had Mzansi talking.

Source: Briefly News