"We Can Do It": Eastern Cape Woman Inspires Mzansi after Studying at the Age of 41

• An Eastern Cape woman shared a video of herself studying teaching at 41 after rewriting her matric at 38
• The woman shares motivational content showing there's no shame in starting over and going back to school
• South Africans were inspired by her story, with many sharing their own journeys of studying later in life

An Eastern Cape woman shared a video on her TikTok page @pinkyminnie1 showing herself in a classroom where she's studying. The clip had a text overlay that read,

"I rewrote my matric at the age of 38. Now I'm doing my first year studying teaching. I'm 41 years old now, and we can do it, sweetheart."

This is just one of many posts on the woman's TikTok profile where she shares motivational content for people who left school at a young age for different reasons. She shows that there's no shame in starting over and trying to redo your high school or get your college or university qualification.

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She also shares content showing that it's never too late to start, and sometimes plans don't work out when a person wants them to, so we just need to stay patient and follow the path that is set out for us. The post went viral with over 50,000 reactions and over 1,000 comments.

Mzansi reacts to inspiring education journey

Netizens reacted to the motivational moment shared on TikTok user @pinkyminnie1's video:

@MaNgqosini wrote:

"34 years next year, and I want to rewrite my matric."

@mfenebeyibamba said:

"I completed my matric at the age of 23, went to varsity. Now I am a senior registered engineering surveyor."

@mamaGIP shared:

"I'm also 44. I'm doing my N6. I felt embarrassed at first, but now that I'm busy with my final exams, it's when I saw it was worth it."

@Phemelo Patrick Kgopisi gushed:

"I enrolled for BEd at 40 and finished at 44. At 45, around May 2022, I got a substitute post. In August 2022, I got permanent. I remember 2018, when I went for my practicals, the principal in that school asked why I was teaching at this late age. I heard the same comments about my age when I was 44, when I went for an interview. I never allowed anyone to pull me down..."

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@noku.T89 added:

"I'm 35 years old. I'm going to rewrite my matric next year, May/June, but I'm scared."

@Tumiso B commented:

"It is not too late, dear. I completed my degree in Education at 47, got a permanent post at 50 🥰."

@Enhlee Gumede said:

"39. I'm attending classes for rewriting matric next year ♥️."

Education progress in South Africa

Looking at a recent report by StatsSA, South Africa has made a lot of progress in education since 1994. In 1996, more than half of people aged 25 and older had only primary schooling or less. By 2022, that figure had dropped to just over 22%, showing how access to education has expanded over time.

The report also shows how the gap between men and women in higher education has almost disappeared. In 2022, about 13.1% of women had completed a tertiary qualification, compared to 12.3% of men. Back in 1996, the numbers were much lower for both groups; only 6.7% of women and 8.6% of men had reached that level.

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Watch the TikTok clip here.

More students making headlines in SA

• Briefly News recently reported on a matriculant who posted a TikTok showing how she covered her entire room in study notes to guarantee she would pass.
• Wits University students took to the streets at night with police escorts as they marched peacefully for gender-based violence awareness.
• A Cape Town matric learner posted predictions for his English exam poems, but was humbled when he got them wrong.

Source: Briefly News