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16 January 2025 | Story Lacea Loader | Photo Supplied
Jurie Blignaut
Jurie Blignaut, top achiever in the 2024 matric exams for quintile four schools in SA and finalist of the UFS 2024 Matriculant of the Year competition.

The University of the Free State (UFS) is proud to announce that the top achiever in the 2024 matric exams for quintile four schools in the country, Jurie Blignaut, will be studying towards an MBChB at the UFS from 2025.

Blignaut, a pupil of the Rustenburg High School, was one of the 14 finalists in the 2024 UFS Matriculant of the Year competition.

“Congratulations to Jurie on this wonderful achievement. We look forward to welcoming him and our cohort of 2025 first-year students to our campuses,” says Prof Anthea Rhoda, acting Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the UFS. 

Boasting 11 distinctions and an average of 96,5%, Blignaut is not only an exceptional academic achiever but also participates in several cultural activities. He was the winner of the Kovsie Alumni Trust’s special award for personal cultural achievement in the final round of the competition. This head boy of his school is an excellent public speaker and musician. 

Blignaut’s highest achievement in public speaking was his national second place in last year’s ATKV public speaking competition in the section for Afrikaans home language. He plays the cello and has performed solo with the Pretoria Symphony Orchestra, was part of the school choir and band, and participated in the Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival. 

“On behalf of the university management, I would also like to congratulate Dr Mantlhake Maboya, MEC for Education in the Free State, and her executive team on the Free State being the top-achieving province in South Africa,” says Prof Rhoda. 

Other finalists in the 2024 UFS Matriculant of the Year competition who excelled during the matric exams include Susan Bender from Voortrekker High School – top achiever in the Free State province – and Chris Goosen from Grey College Secondary School, who is also one of the top achievers in the Free State. 

News Archive

Qwaqwa Campus Open Day a big success
2013-08-12

 

12 August 2013
Photo: RooistoelTV

   Open Day video clip (YouTube)

Thousands of learners in their colourful uniforms descended on the UFS Qwaqwa Campus to attend Open Day 2013.

This annual event enables learners and community members to know more about the study programmes that the campus offers as well as information regarding financial aid opportunities, sports and culture, health and wellness, residence life, amongst others.

During the formal welcome session, the learners were given a better understanding of what the university is all about.

Campus Principal Prof Prakash Naidoo gave the learners what he referred to as the top reasons why all the students in attendance would find it attractive to enrol with the Qwaqwa Campus in 2014.

“We have a diverse culture where everybody feels welcomed. We are also the fastest transforming university in the world. Our unique UFS101 learning programme teaches you about life in general. There’s no doubt that we have the best Vice Chancellor and Rector in Prof Jonathan Jansen,” Prof Naidoo said.

In encouraging learners to work harder in order to achieve the goals that they had set for themselves, Dr Elsa Crause, Campus Vice Principal: Academic and Research, emphasised on the importance of reading. “Reading and studying hard are important if you are to succeed in life. For you to achieve the best and to make your student life interesting, you must read as much as you write,” she said.

After the formal welcome session that included entertainment by students, the learners were ushered to various faculties and departments to give them first-hand experience of what it feels like to be a Kovsie.

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