After a Decade-Long Struggle, Lungelo Ngcobo Finally Steps into His Law Career

Photo Credit: University of KwaZulu-Natal via Facebook

Even though financial setbacks forced him to leave university twice, Lungelo Ngcobo refused to give up his dream. Ten years later, he has finally secured his LLB degree and is a significant step closer to becoming a legal practitioner who advocates for the protection and empowerment of women, children and vulnerable workers.

KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa (17 September 2026) – Lungelo Ngcobo epitomises the old adage: if at first you don’t succeed, try and try again. Time and time again, the young man faced bitter financial setbacks in pursuit of earning the one thing he longed for most: a law degree.

The aspiring lawyer enrolled at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) in the second semester of 2016, making steady progress until 2021. He lost his NSFAS funding and was unable to register for his final year due to his outstanding fees.

Still holding on to the dream, Ngcobo secured a job as a general worker in 2023, where he spent a year working and saving towards his return to university.

The following year, he returned to UKZN determined to complete his remaining modules, but before he could reach that finish line, financial constraints once again prevented him from doing so. With just one module left to complete his degree, Ngcobo was forced to return home, unable to afford the registration and his study fees.

Leaving the institution for the second time could have been enough to discourage and demotivate most, but not him.

In 2025, Ngcobo was selected to join the R617 Road Rehabilitation Project connecting Bulwer and Underberg, where he worked throughout the year. He later applied for readmission to UKZN in 2026 and successfully completed his degree after the first semester!

After a decade-long struggle to complete his degree, Ngcobo finally graduated from UKZN with a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree this week.

He tells UKZN that he was born poor, and that when you come from a disadvantaged background, you strive to do everything in your power to change your circumstances and create a better future for your family. That’s what kept him going.

“Having faced my own challenges as a general worker, I have developed a deep appreciation for the struggles many ordinary people experience every day. I hope to contribute to greater awareness of legal rights, improve access to justice, and empower communities through the law,” he shares.
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He currently works at a legal office where he is gaining practical experience. Ngcobo aspires to become an admitted legal practitioner to advocate for the protection and empowerment of women, children and vulnerable workers.

Proud to have finally graduated and attend the ceremony alongside his mother and sisters, whom he credits as his biggest supporters, Ngcobo expressed his heartfelt gratitude to his family, friends, and acquaintances.