20 Years of Educational Empowerment, Promaths Share Alumni Success Stories

Photo Credit: Investec

As Promaths celebrates 20 years of educational empowerment, we meet two alumni who turned their extra lessons into lifelong change.

South Africa (19 August 2025) – From Petronella Mtolo becoming a maths teacher in Soweto, to Mmane Boikanyo earning a bursary to further her studies, Promaths has empowered through education over the past 20 years and changed lives.

It was twenty years ago, Promaths had just started giving extra maths and science lessons to high school students in Dobsonville, Soweto. The first eager student walked through the door, ready to gain a better understanding of the fundamentals. Notebook unpacked, pencils sharpened, the teacher took a deep breath and began the lesson. Back then, it was one lesson, one inspired student, which has led to the phenomenal 28,000 learners positively impacted, 13,000 distinctions achieved and delivering 7% of maths and 8% of science distinctions nationally in 2024.

These numbers are moving! They highlight two decades of commitment to making a difference. Launched in Soweto in 2005 as a joint initiative between Investec and the Kutlwanong Centre for Maths, Science and Technology, Promaths provides extra tuition to high school learners, helping them improve their performance in these critical subjects. For Investec, being deeply invested in boosting education is seen as a powerful tool for transformation. Nurturing critical thinking, analytical reasoning, problem-solving, and adaptability, Promaths has become a ray of hope in the education space.

Many of the young students who represent the statistics mentioned above have gone on to become engineers, doctors, teachers, economists, and actuaries. Many of them go on to support extended families, launch businesses, and uplift communities.

Petronella Mtolo found her inspiration at Promaths and became a maths teacher. Today, she teaches at Forte High School, Dobsonville, Soweto, not far from where her journey began. Petronella joined Promaths in high school and found a love for mathematics. She was offered the opportunity to further her studies through internships and a mentorship at a private school before graduating in 2016 and completing her honours in 2017.

“I had several teachers who inspired me to see academics differently – including one who became a life mentor and who showed me compassion, love and support. When I saw the opportunities that I got from those teachers, and the way they motivated me to become a better version of myself, I figured that the only way to become a change agent myself was to go into teaching, too.”

Once qualified, Petronella had the opportunity to teach at a private school but decided to return to where she began, using her passion for education to inspire eager students much like herself.

“I decided that I would have the greatest impact in the public sector where there is a huge gap in education.”
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Equally catapulted into tertiary education was Mmane Boikanyo, who earned a bursary from Investec for excelling in mathematics. She was able to propel herself into the marketing space, earning a BCom in Communication Management, and today she works at WITS University.

While she grew up in Hillbrow, the move to Soweto at age 11 changed her life. Her family faced some financial strain when her stepfather was retrenched, but a drive to succeed was born, and so Mmane found a way to help support herself and ease the burden for her family.

“This was an extremely difficult time because my mum had to financially support four children, including one already in varsity. I began selling sweets, crisps (mazimba) and lipgloss to make some money so that I could afford my school uniform, hair and bags in high school.

“I think I was resilient and resourceful because I could always look beyond our current circumstances and envision a better future. That period taught me to work hard, to be persistent and to have patience. Most importantly, it taught me humility and to respect everyone I came across, because they may be dealing with challenges too”

She joined Promaths, and the rest was history.

“It taught me discipline and made me realise that there are many gifted people in the world, so I needed to work extra hard to stand out from the rest.”

Petronella closed with a profound statement, saying:

“The kids who usually succeed are the ones on the shoulders of giants.” – Petronella Mtolo

These giants are inspiring teachers, communities putting education first and corporates like Investec that are deeply invested in seeing South Africans shine.

Investec believes that when we invest meaningfully in education, we don’t just change individual lives, we reshape the trajectory of our nation. Government, business, and civil society can all be deeply invested in reshaping the system, rebuilding trust, and becoming catalysts for change.

The way we build economic resilience is by equipping the youth with the tools to participate in and lead within the economy of the future. Through Promaths and investing in education, Investec aims to turn South Africa’s unemployment crisis into a catalyst for transformation.

If the past 20 years are anything to go by, we can see that being invested, is a step in the right direction.