Refilwe Ngwaku hails from the humble dusty streets of Soweto, where she believes that there are few role models. From a young age, her dream was to be different, to become the change she wanted to see. Her goal was to show that success can come from any background.

Refilwe can still picture the school corridor where, as a primary school learner in Dobsonville, Soweto, she saw a group of older students wearing t-shirts that read “Kutlwanong ProMaths”. It wasn’t the clothing that struck her – it was what the words stood for.

“I turned to my friend and said, ‘One day, I’m going to wear that t-shirt,’” she recalls.

More than a decade later, Refilwe, a sustainability manager at PwC, is preparing to receive her PhD in mechanical engineering from the North-West University (NWU).

Her academic work, rooted in resource efficiency in the mining sector, explores practical strategies for diesel conservation – solutions she believes could contribute to national policy.

But the road from primary school in Soweto to a PhD laboratory was never guaranteed.

She was raised in a single-income household by her mother, Mathe Makhabane Ngwaku, a domestic worker. University was not something her family discussed in practical terms. “There was no budget for it,” she says. “It was a distant idea.”

That changed in 2011, when she passed the entrance test for the Kutlwanong ProMaths programme, an academic support initiative backed by Investec and spearheaded by corporate social investment leader Ntate Setlogane Manchidi. The programme offered structured support in maths and science for high school learners from underserved communities.

“Getting into the programme felt like crossing a line,” says Refilwe. “I was no longer just dreaming. I was building something.”

She started at the bottom, placed in Group 7. But week by week, she moved up, eventually reaching Group 1 in mathematics and Group 2 in physical sciences. The academic gains were measurable, but the psychological impact, she says, was profound.

“Ntate Setlogane used to tell us, ‘Sticks and stones may break my bones, but not that which lies within me’. That wisdom stayed with me. It carried me through my undergraduate studies, through my master’s and now through my PhD.”

Refilwe completed her master’s degree in development and management engineering at the NWU. Her dissertation outlined a benchmarking strategy for conserving potable water in gold-mining operations. “It’s a model that could be applied in multiple sectors,” she says, “and potentially assist in addressing South Africa’s water scarcity.”

She now applies her research in her work, focusing on systems improvement and sustainability strategies.

While she stands on the verge of completing her doctoral studies, she views her success as part of something larger than herself. “ProMaths didn’t just help me go to university; it helped me become the first person in my family to graduate.”

Refilwe is one of many programme alumni who have pursued careers in engineering, science or finance. Together, she says, they are shifting long-standing narratives.

“We are changing what’s expected at home. We are creating new stories for our families and communities.”

Similarly, the NWU’s flagship Ikateleng project is another example of how targeted support can unlock learners’ potential. Ikateleng provides supplementary instruction in science and commerce to high school learners across South Africa. For more than 36 years, it has contributed to the success of over 3 000 university graduates. Since 2021, the programme has maintained a 97% matric pass rate and a 78% bachelor pass rate – consistently exceeding national averages.

Both Ikateleng and ProMaths show how dedicated academic support initiatives can shape new futures, especially for learners from underserved communities.

"I would like to thank the NWU and ETA Operations for the opportunity and funding. Pursuing postgraduate studies would not have been possible without the support of these two institutions. I am especially grateful to Prof Eddie Matthews and Prof Liezl van Dyk for their guidance and encouragement," she said.

And that t-shirt? She earned it. But she says the true reward has been watching her story unfold far beyond what she imagined in that school hallway.

 Refilwe Ngwaku was conferred a PhD in mechanical engineering from the NWU.