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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

Vusi Thembekwayo enthrals Kovsies
2016-08-18

Description: Vusi Thembekwayo  Tags: Vusi Thembekwayo

Vusi Thembekwayo delivered an impressive
lecture at UFS

Kovsies students and aspiring entrepreneurs who attended Vusi Thembekwayo’s Like a Boss: Show me the Money lecture will certainly agree that he is indeed the “Rockstar of public speaking”.

Through his sublime oratory skills, blended with flagrant humour, the seasoned serial entrepreneur captivated the capacity audience at the University of the Free State’s EBW Auditorium.

The lecture’s main purpose was for the 31-year-old - who has already achieved immense success in business - to offer valuable business advice and financial literacy. And he did just that.

Thembekwayo explained how innovation has always been driven by necessity. He also mentioned why he believes black people were struggling to build or grow sustainable businesses in the country.

“There is no black capital in SA. There are no schools to teach black people how to start businesses,” Thembekwayo said.

He said black people often opted out of their societal problems in spite of being conscious of them. This was a reference to the visible trend of black people who pursue success for their own personal enrichment.

For the country to solve these problems, amongst many others, Thembekwayo stressed that a labour absorptive economy, which also creates entrepreneurial opportunities, is essential.

Mechanical engineer and World Economic Forum (WEF) Innovator of the Year Award recipient, Nneile Nkholise and Dr Johan van Zyl, from the UFS Centre for Development Support were guest speakers at the event.

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