Tertiary Institution: Boston City Campus (online)

Field of Study: Higher Certificate in HIV/AIDS counselling and management

Alexis graduated from Wittedrift High in 2024. Since we have known her, Lexi has had a lust for life. She has always been a quick thinker and has always responded in such a positive manner to anything where adrenaline is involved. No wonder, she chose to work in the Health Sciences field, where fast response is vital. To plan her future, she has chosen to broaden her knowledge by completing a 1-year Higher Certificate in HIV Education and Counselling in 2025.  This she will do whilst improving her Life Science results which will stand her in good stead when she enrols for the National Diploma of Nursing in 2026.  We are very proud to assist Alexis with her tertiary journey as she joined Born in Africa when she was in primary school. At Wittedrift High school she also took on a leadership position by becoming a school prefect and she was a valuable team member for her school’s Hockey team. We believe and trust that with Alexis’s dedication, her work ethic and kind demeanour she has already become such an inspiration for young people in her community of Green Valley, Wittedrift. 

Tertiary Institution: Netcare School of Nursing

Field of study: National Diploma in Nursing

Annilin Mouton grew up in Kranshoek where she attended Kranshoek Primary school.  When she was in primary school, she joined the Born in Africa program already and we remember her very fondly as the girl with the two long ponytails! Academically Annilin was very strong and this enabled her to qualify for the Born in Africa Wittedrift Study bursary.  This, despite having lost her mother at a very tender age.  High school for Annilin was sensitive at times as she continued to struggle with the loss of her mother.  Digging deep and finding the courage, was hard work, yet brought victory when Annilin graduated from high school in 2023.  In 2024, she commenced her nursing studies at the Emmanuel Nursing College in Oudtshoorn. She completed this 1- year course and obtained her Higher Certificate. This was just the beginning of a journey as a dream for Annilin, one which she has never given up on, in the same manner we have always seen the courage from within her. In 2025 she commenced her course online to become a Social Auxiliary Worker through CEFA. Once she completed this, she’ll obtain her Occupational Cerficiate. We believe in you, Annilin!

Update 2026: qualification obtained: Occupational certificate: Social Auxiliary Worker (CEFA)

We are incredibly proud to announce that finally our Annilin has made her dream come true.  By working incredibly hard the last 3 years, she has finally been accepted into studying her dream career which is Nursing.  Annilin did not have Life Science at school as a subject and this proved itself a huge steppingstone to overturn, but finally she did it.  Annilin is now studying a 3-year National Diploma in Nursing at the Netcare school of Nursing in Belville, Cape Town.  This facility is located near the world-famous teaching hospital which is the Tygerberg hospital.  The majority of other universities in the area also use this hospital as their training facility, which means Annilin have incredible opportunities to work alongside the cream of the South African medical fraternity.  We are just over the moon that she is going to sport her nursing epilettes one day.  A small seed was planted many years ago, a seed so strong that Annilin has managed to nurture and now is flourishing.  All the best to you Annilin for not only this year, but the next three years!  Your mom is now smiling, looking down at you from above and you have made her heart happy.  We are incredibly fortunate to be representing you and call you one of our own! 

Tertiary Institution: ETA, George
Field of study:Certificate in Fitness

Auriel Thys, our girl hailing from The Crags completed her primary schooling at The Crags Primary, where she also joined the Born in Africa program. From there, she progressed to Wittedrift Highschool, where she completed her secondary education at the end of 2025.  Her parents worked extremely hard to ensure she gained an excellent education from Wittedrift High, as this is one of our model C school fees paying schools. Auriel, who has always been extremely passionate about netball, played this sport from a very young age. We are incredibly proud to announce that she commenced her first year as a tertiary student in 2026, studying a higher certificate in fitness at ETA College in George.  Auriel specifically chose this road as she wants to learn more about guiding and helping others to reach their full potential through sport and fitness and especially those living with special needs.  How incredible that once she has completed her tertiary education, she is also thinking about joining the South African Defense Force. For now, however, her focus is the body, how incredible it is, and the gift that we must use our bodies to play sport, and win! We wish Auriel a wonderful 1^st year as a tertiary student! 

Tertiary Institution: Sodwana Bay
Field of study: Certificate in Professional Diving

Cally Kleinsmidt started her primary school at Kranshoek Primary until grade 3, where she joined the Born in Africa program, and then completed her second phase of primary school at Plettenberg Bay Primary. This was the wish of her late father come true. From there, she progressed to Wittedrift Highschool where she completed her secondary school career.  During her high school years, Cally continued to develop her love for the ocean.  She took up surfing as a sport which saw her enter the South Africa champs several times and she also participated in Life guarding during her high school career.  At school, netball was her sport of choice where she made the 1^st team. Since primary school, she was an active Nipper and part of the Born in Africa Nipper development team.  Her huge love for the ocean has shaped her choice of career.  In February of 2026, Cally started a year diving course in Sodwana Bay which is situated by the Indian Ocean on the Eastern side of South Africa.  This 12-month course is a stepping stone for her next dream, which is to be qualified for underwater welding.  We are rooting for Cally as we always have, and we are incredibly proud that this young lady has managed to turn her passion into her career! 

Tertiary Institution: Western Cape College of Nursing
Field of study: Bachelor of Nursing

Dear Born in Africa fans, meet our future nurse Denzilene Cedras.  Our Denzilene grew up in New Horizons with her mother, her grandmother and family.  She joined the Born in Africa program after her primary school years at Formosa Primary school.  We still fondly remember visiting her ballet recitals at Formosa Primary school. When Denzilene completed primary school and started her secondary education at Wittedrift High, she joined all the other Born in Africa bursary recipients and attended the school’s weekly boarding school, where she found and made lifelong friends. This also improved her independence. Denzilene enjoyed playing netball for her school, but what stood out mostly during her high school career, was the way she cared for those around her.  She is passionate about caring for others, highly curious about Life Sciences and therefore no surprise that she was accepted to study her dream career which is Nursing. At the beginning of 2026, she started her 4-year nursing course at the Western Cape College of Nursing, which is situated in Athlone, near the heart of the mother city, Cape Town. We know this journey is not going to be an easy one, but what we also know that the life experiences Denzilene has gone through will stand her in good stead.  Good luck Denzilene and I hope that one day, I will end up in your care! 

Tertiary institution: AFDA Cape Town – the School for the Creative Economy

Field of study: 3-year Bachelor of Art in Medium motion picture

Exonia was raised by her grandparents in Kwanokuthula and by Born in Africa as well when her grandparents moved away! This young lady joined the Born in Africa program in high school and we enrolled her at Wittedrift High were she graduated despite many personal adversities. During her school career it became apparent just how creative Exonia is as a person in various ways.  She loves to act, sing and perform and music is certainly her first love. AFDA was the obvious choice as so many brilliant performers are alumni’s from this prestigious college. The one year course (Higher Certificate in Film, Television and Entertainment Production) she completed in 2021, laid a foundation of basic skills and learning to enter the creative economy at an assistant level. It also enabled her to study a 3-year Bachelor Degree in Performing Arts at AFDA. We wish her much luck for this year as these studies will enable her to secure her place in the world of creative studies. 

Tertiary Institution: Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth
Field of study: 3- year National Diploma in Tourism

We are very proud to present Samila Oliphant, who boasts with Academic First Place in Gr 12 for 2023 at Plettenberg Bay Secondary School. Samilla is studying a 3-year National Diploma in Tourism at the Nelson Mandela University in Port Elizabeth. Indeed, her results enable her to commence her Bachelor studies, however Samila has confidently mapped out her future already and it includes embarking her profession on a cruise ship on the oceans of the world one day. Samila hails from Kranshoek, just west of Plettenberg Bay where she attended Kranshoek Primary School. Samila has been a part of the Born in Africa family since grade 3 there and we are so looking forward to go full circle and assist her in her tertiary studies, making her dreams a reality!

Tertiary Institution: Western Cape College of Nursing, George Provincial Hospital
Field of study: 4- year National Diploma in Nursing

Tatum Terblanche who resides in Kurland Village, The Crags, commenced her 4 years National Diploma in Nursing in 2024. She is studying in George at the Western Cape College of Nursing at the George Provincial hospital. Nursing is all Tatum ever wanted to do, as she is following in her mother’s footsteps who is also a nurse by profession. Not only did Tatum excel academically at Wittedrift High where she graduated in 2023, but she also holds a place in the school’s academic Top 10 graduates. What a beautiful achievement which she will have for the rest of her life. Tatum also served on her school’s prefect council, and she was an active netball player. With the embarkment on her studies, we support Tatum as we know, nursing is entwined in her DNA!