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Thuso Lempetje – from service worker to Business School graduate

06 May 2022 | Story Dr Nitha Ramnath | Photo Supplied

“Stop settling for things you know you don’t like” and “loving what you do can open doors for you” certainly holds true for Thuso (Julius) Lempetje, who graduated against all odds with a Bachelor of Management Leadership (BML) from the UFS Business School in April 2022.

Fresh out of matric in 2012, Lempetje worked as a cleaner in the Centre for Business Dynamics, hoping to study one day. An avid reader, Lempetje often borrowed books from Danie Jacobs, the former manager of the Centre for Business Dynamics. Mostly business-related, the books motivated Lempetje to understand the world of business. Lempetje’s breakthrough arrived when the Centre for Business Dynamics offered him the opportunity to study towards the Management Development Programme (MDP). Although it was not something he preferred to do, Lempetje nonetheless seized the chance to supplement his matric certificate with another NQF level.

Lempetje did not stop here – after completing the certificate programme, his motivation to continue studying was further boosted by his exposure to students from all walks of life and age groups in the Business School. Taking on the BML was no easy feat, particularly since Lempetje did not have the extensive work and management experience for work-related assignments as his peers in the cohort he was studying with.

It was not easy for Lempetje to complete his degree, as some of the modules required practical experience. This forced Lempetje to dig hard and to open up his curiosity to how things work in the business world.

Lempetje’s advice to students and anyone who wishes to study, is that “you should never link age to studying and regardless of your age, your brain is never too rusty to study”. He adds that, “studying really does open the mind to new and innovative ideas”.

“There is a lot of motivation in the UFS Business School, as it gives opportunities to adults who never thought they would have a degree in their life,” says Lempetje. “Seeing older people study and work while also parenting, shows that there is more to life than the limitation we set ourselves by saying that we are too old to study, or we are too busy to study. Once you finish, you realise that you can actually do this, and you stop settling for things you know you don’t like.”

News Archive

Fasset continues to fuel academic excellence at the UFS

2017-12-15

Programme Director: School of Accounting, Prof Hentie van Wyk, and
Dean: Economic and Management Sciences, Prof Hendri Kroukamp
excited about the unveiling of the Finance and Accounting Services
Sector Education and Training Authority (Fasset)
plaque at the School of Accounting.
Photo: Rulanzen Martin

The School of Accounting on the Bloemfontein Campus of the University of the Free State (UFS) held an unveiling ceremony for a Finance and Accounting Services Sector Education and Training Authority (Fasset) plaque. The plaque was unveiled by UFS Rector and Vice-Chancellor, Prof Francis Petersen, and Fasset CEO, Lesego Lebuso. This was in honour of Fasset’s partnership with the UFS and its contribution towards driving academic excellence through its Intrabas projects over the past few years.

Funding for teaching and learning initiatives
These projects support the development of black student enrolment and performance in Accounting Studies. During the previous year, Fasset gave the UFS R54 million in funding to support teaching and learning initiatives for 960 black Accounting students. These students were enrolled for BAcc, BCom(Acc), BAcc(Hons)/PGDipCA, and BCom(Hons in Acc)/PGDipGA studies. In the same year, a celebratory ceremony was held at the South Campus for 125 Fasset-funded students to celebrate their academic excellence.

Prof Hentie van Wyk, Programme Director: School of Accounting, said, “FASSET funding will give the Centre for Accounting (as it was then called) an opportunity to strengthen our current student-centred teaching model”. This seemed like a prophecy, because at the beginning of 2017, the class of 2016 BAccHons students achieved a 96% pass rate in the 2017 Initial Test of Competence (ITC) examinations of the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA).

Millions contributed towards accounting degrees
In 2017, Fasset sponsored 114 students on the Bloemfontein Campus with full bursaries amounting to more than R20 million through the Intrabas bursary fund for degree qualifications in BAccHons, BComHons (Acc), BAcc, BComAcc and BComAcc Extended programmes, as well as the tutorial programme managed by the School of Accountancy. On the Qwaqwa Campus, Fasset has given more than R7 million worth of funding.

James Veitch, Senior Officer: School of Accounting, said, “A decision was made to rather fund less students so that they could be assisted with greater effect, and students who did not qualify for the bursaries, would still be assisted through the support programme.”

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