“Very Rare Scenes”: SA Reacts to Eastern Cape Triplets Graduating Together With Law Degrees From UFS

• Three Eastern Cape triplets made history at UFS by graduating together with Bachelor of Laws degrees on the very same day
• One of the sisters lived with a hearing impairment, yet still won a mock trial award and led the Law Association at UFS
• Their mother stayed awake on late-night video calls just to keep her daughters company while they studied at the library

Three sisters from Mthatha walked across the same graduation stage in the same ceremony, collecting the same law degree, and left Mzansi completely short of words.

Esihle, Sinovuyo, and Sisipho Mbiyo received their Bachelor of Laws degrees at the University of the Free State’s Autumn graduation ceremony in Bloemfontein on 15 April 2026. The triplets from the Eastern Cape completed the gruelling four-year LLB programme together through the same classes, the same pressure, and the same finish line.

The University of the Free State confirmed the achievement in an official statement on their website, describing it as a rare family milestone for the Faculty of Law.

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Three degrees, one family

The Mbiyo sisters made the journey work through sheer structure and accountability. Early morning library sessions were non-negotiable from the very beginning of their studies. Shared notes, mock exam questions, and keeping each other honest formed the backbone of their system. When a difficult module like Civil Procedure came around, nobody was allowed to fall behind.

In the statement by the university, Sisipho described the environment between them as one of healthy competition that pushed all three forward.

“If she got a higher mark than me, then I knew I had to pull up my socks,” she said.

“We never compared marks. Instead, it was a motivation among us.”

Legal professionals back home in Mthatha planted the seed long before university entered the picture. Watching people use the law to change lives in underprivileged communities gave all three sisters a passion for justice that followed them to Bloemfontein.

The LLB is not a degree anyone breezes through in this country. Research has shown that only 35% of law students in South Africa actually graduate within five years. The academic pressure is relentless, and the dropout rate across universities tells a story that does not get told enough. For three people from the same household to survive together is something else altogether.

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See the Facebook post by the University of Free State below:

Mzansi reacts to the rare occasion

Briefly News compiled some comments from the post below.

Sandra Ndlovu commented:

“This is what sisterhood and determination look like! 💪🏻 Wow, wishing you all the best.”

Mokgaetje Makololo said:

“Wow! Very rare scenes. Congratulations to the triplets. This is beautiful🥳.”

Teboho Tlotliso Masakala wrote:

“Congratulations, this is so inspiring indeed. Well done, ladies.”

Bob Tladi noted:

“What a beautiful and inspiring life story. Inspired people inspire other people.”

Matshabalala Mbebe said:

“Congratulations. Indeed, God is so good. We wish them well.”

Yolisa Zingce Malunga commented:

“Well done! Mbiyo attorneys. 🎉”

More about graduations

• Briefly News previously reported that a University of the Free State student who passed away before graduation has now been identified as a 26-year-old from Limpopo.
• Twin sisters Clio and KD Sass graduated on the same day from Stellenbosch University, decades after their mother's studies were cut short by apartheid.
• A SuperSpar employee in Bloemfontein went viral after sharing a joyous moment with her colleagues.

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Source: Briefly News