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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

FASSET students on South Campus urged to ‘position themselves for success’
2016-08-31

Description: FASSET prize-giving Tags: FASSET prize-giving

Boniswa Segoe with Tshegofatso Setilo at the FASSET
prize-giving. Boniswa received two separate accolades
on the day for her academic achievements.
Photo: Charl Devenish

On 12 August 2016, 125 FASSET-funded students on South Campus were rewarded for their first-semester efforts during a ceremony “to celebrate hard work, dedication, and excellence”, according to Lerato Sekonyela, who chaired the event. FASSET is the Finance and Accounting Services Sector Education and Training Authority. This sector is the largest employer of people with financial skills. “One of FASSET’s many objectives is to develop the competence of employees, resulting not only in an incredible level of training , but also in an improvement in the quality of life for many,” according to Tshegofatso Setilo, Manager: University Preparation Programme at the South Campus.

Jean Grundling,
Academic Head at South Campus, welcomed students, as well as the guests, tutors, and facilitators present, saying, “This is a milestone in your learning journey.” Quoting the words of Nelson Mandela, “A good head and good heart are always a formidable combination”, Grundling added, “Never stop learning, but also look at the compassion in your hearts.”

Tania Lee, projects director at FASSET, explained how funding is obtained from the financial sector. Ms Lee also expanded on the various projects FASSET is undertaking; from the lowest level, where schoolchildren are provided adequate career guidance, through TVET support by means of learnerships, to a full bursary scheme planned for next year.

Ms Lee advised: “Position yourself for success.” Using an analogy from an athletics event at the recent Rio Olympic Games, she exhorted students to take up a position like a runner in a relay race, poised and ready to sprint off after receiving the baton. She urged: “Aspire to become the heroes for our country.”

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