“Age Is Just a Number”: KZN Woman Graduates From UNISA at 41 Leaving Mzansi Inspired

• Lungile Mayisa, 41, from Nqutu in KwaZulu-Natal, graduated from UNISA on 23 June 2026 after sharing her milestone on Facebook
• South Africans flooded the comments with congratulations, with many sharing their own plans to study later in life
• Her post sparked a broader conversation about education being accessible at any age

A 41-year-old woman from KwaZulu-Natal has taken Mzansi by storm after sharing her UNISA graduation on Facebook, proving it is never too late to chase a dream. Lungile Mayisa from Nqutu crossed that academic finish line on 23 June 2026, and South Africa could not stop cheering. Her Facebook post quickly attracted waves of congratulations and personal stories from people who saw themselves in her journey.

What made Lungile’s moment stand out was not just the achievement itself. University campuses are largely filled with students in their twenties, so a 41-year-old completing her qualification is something many South Africans found genuinely remarkable and deeply motivating.

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SA speaks: “Age is just a number”

The comment section turned into a space of shared dreams and encouragement. One person said they would be starting a diploma at 35. Another celebrated Lungile simply by saying “41 years young” and urged her to go after another degree. Another commenter noted that their name would be called at 37. Others kept it simple, repeating the same idea that it is never too late for education. One commenter added they would graduate at 43, clearly energised by what Lungile had done.

UNISA is one of the largest open-distance learning institutions in the world. It holds autumn graduation ceremonies across South Africa every year. The 2026 ceremonies run from 2 to 30 June, with events in Pretoria, Durban, Cape Town, East London, Mbombela, Polokwane and Bloemfontein. The university will confer qualifications to tens of thousands of students this season, many of them adult learners who balanced work, family and studies to get to the stage.

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Lungile’s story is a reminder that the road to a qualification does not have to follow a straight line or a fixed timeline. For many South Africans, juggling responsibilities means studies get delayed, paused or put on hold for years. But stories like hers keep the door open for anyone who still has an unfinished academic chapter.

Mzansi was moved, motivated and, above all, proud.

See the post here:

More articles involving graduates

• Tshilidzi Morwasehla shared her graduation milestone on 23 June, earning her degree at the age of 40 Read more: https://briefly.co.za/people/women/244851-unisa-woman-graduates-40-post-inspires-thousands-sa-students/
• A UKZN graduate's emotional walk across the stage sparked an outpouring of love and well wishes across Mzansi.
• When Khanyisa Magaqa graduated from the University of Fort Hare, she didn't expect to be surrounded by a crowd of strangers.

Source: Briefly News