It was a proud day in the Kganyago household, as well as for Cornwall Hill College, as the school’s 2023 head girl, Mmabodiba Kganyago, scored a whopping 11 distinctions in her matric exams.
It was a stressful wait for this talented matriculant who had hoped that she would get distinctions in all her subjects. She was not disappointed and was extremely happy when she received her results.
Mmabodiba is the daughter of the South African Reserve Bank Governor Lesetja Kganyago and his wife, Zibusiso.
Asked how she felt about her daughter’s outstanding achievement, Zibusiso said she was ecstatic.
“But I am also conscious that it takes a village to raise a child. Mmabodiba’s achievements are a testament to hard work, dedication and drive.”
Mmabodiba was one of the school’s star pupils and the school said it was proud of her. Not only had she worked hard to achieve many accolades, she had also exceeded in her duties as head girl and was named Dux Scholar.
And she was awarded a Renaissance Blazer, the highest award that any pupil can achieve, for honours in academics, music and internal service.
Speaking to the Pretoria News, she said she had build a good work ethic from a young age, which had helped her to achieve top marks.
“I stay disciplined in order to reach those goals. My friends also help me to create a school-life balance. We are all like-minded in terms of working hard so we all know that when it is time to work, then our social lives have to take a back seat.”
Another major component that helped her was her family support.
“For example, my mother stays up with me during long nights or she naps on my bed until I’m done working. She continues to support me through the highs and the lows.”
Mmabodiba also has the support of her two brothers, Mororisheng and Themba, who she said kept her motivated.
“They care deeply for me, especially during exam times. They send me kind messages and they buy me exam care packages to get me through the tough period.”
Although she does well in all her subjects, Mmabodiba’s favourites are maths, accounting and physics.
But it is not just all studying. When she takes a break, she reads non-educational books. Good sleep is important to her, as is spending time with her friends and family.
With clearly a head for numbers, Mmabodiba said she would like to study actuarial science.
She has conditionally been accepted at the universities to which she had applied for, but she is yet to decide where she would like to study.
Mmabodiba said she looked up to her mother for inspiration.
“She inspires me to work hard so that I am able to be a role model to others. I look up to her for her strength, intelligence, work ethic and her consistent drive to be an inspiration to young black girls.”
Pretoria News
zelda.venter@inl.co.za