"I'm Gonna Survive": SA Content Creator Breaks Down After Finding Dad's MBA Dissertation Mid-Masters

• Thabiso Mokhatshane, a Wits MSc student, found their father's University of Pretoria MBA dissertation while working on their own master's degree
• In the video, they were moved to tears after discovering their dad had named them in his acknowledgements page
• South Africans flooded the comments with messages of support after the emotional clip went viral

Thabiso Mokhatshane is a scientist, content creator and Wits MSc student. While pushing through the demands of their own master's degree, they stumbled across something that stopped them in their tracks.

Thabiso, who goes by @thabiiwabii on Instagram, shared the moment in a selfie-style video filmed at home on 10 November 2026, surrounded by colourful artwork and hanging plants. The clip showed them reacting to their father's University of Pretoria MBA dissertation, opened to the acknowledgements page.

There, among the names their father had thanked for seeing him through two years of study, was their own: Thabiso, listed alongside siblings Thabang and Tholwana.

The discovery hit hard. Visibly emotional and tearful, Thabiso took a breath and spoke directly to the camera.

"I'm okay, I'm okay. You got this, you got this. I'm a baddie, I'm gonna do this. I'm gonna survive. I'm gonna do it," they said.

The caption they shared with the post read:

"Found my dad's MBA dissertation while fighting for my own master's degree 🩷"

Dad's legacy fuels the journey

What made the moment so powerful was the mirror it held up. Their father had sat where they were sitting, buried in research and running on determination, and had made it through. Now his child was doing the same, with his words quietly waiting in a dissertation to be found at exactly the right time.

The video resonated widely, drawing nearly 8,000 likes from people who recognised the weight of that discovery.

Watch the emotional moment on Instagram:

Mzansi shows up with love

South Africans in the comments section of @thabiiwabii's Instagram post had plenty to say:

@antochiane wrote:

"Adding my angel mom on mine, because baby girl passed away while pursuing her master's in education 🤍♾️"

@alphi_sipho said:

"Think of how far you've come. You're already a winner 🔥🔥🔥🔥"

@choc_mousse added:

"🫂🫂🫂 you got this boo! And what an A1 dad 🙌🏾🔥❤️"

@thando__pkt shared:

"Oh sana, the reason why I am pushing too.... so that one day my daughter can see that I made it so can she too 🥹🫂❤️"

@tshepo_skepta said:

"Star dad 😢❤️🙌🏽"

@iamnomfundonkosi wrote:

"I wish someone told me it was normal to cry through the process of doing your master's. Now when I see others crying I truly understand because ja… it can take you through the wringer! Keep on fighting! There is definitely light at the end. With God all things are possible. Can't wait to see you graduate!"

@zeigh2808 added:

"May I one day get to play this role too and be this kind of inspiration to my children 🥺🕯️"

More on South African students and graduates

• Briefly News recently reported on a Kimberley matric learner’s solo mission to apply for university without parents to guide him.
• A graduate’s TikTok video compares her graduation day with her life today, and many South Africans are sharing their own stories.
• Another young graduate posted a clip about the gap between her qualification and her current reality.

Source: Briefly News