Malwandla Shines as Matric Top Achiever Despite Painful Brittle Bone Disease

Photo Credit: Department of Basic Education via Facebook

Despite facing significant physical and mental challenges, including chronic pain and missed school days, Malwandla Baloyi persevered throughout a tough matric year to secure a spot among the country’s top 39 performing learners!

Johannesburg, South Africa (14 January 2025) – As our country celebrates the remarkable academic achievements of the class of 2024, we’re filled with pride and hope to note that the pass rate has increased compared to the previous year.

This improvement reflects the unwavering determination of our young learners. We are also inspired by the unique journeys of those who persevered through significant challenges and still achieved commendable results.

One of the many touching testimonies was that of an unshakable Malwandla Baloyi, a New Hope School 2024 matriculant who was one of the top achievers at the Department of Education’s congratulatory breakfast for the class of 2024 held in Johannesburg.

Despite facing the pressure to achieve great results in her final year of school, as most of her peers faced, her journey was also characterised by the unique challenge of suffering from brittle bone disease. Also known as Osteogenesis imperfecta, it’s a genetic disease that causes bones to weaken and break easily.

This condition, coupled with scoliosis, which would result in excessive back pain, often saw Malwandla miss several school days—something no overachiever (as she refers to herself) would want to be set back by in her final year of school.

In a media interview with Sowetan Live, she opened up about how her disability would result in her experiencing bone pain during cold seasons.

Yet, still, she never used this as an excuse to neglect her studies and goal to give her final school year her all.

In addition to Malwandla’s physical health challenges, she also experienced a lot of mental pressure in her matric year but received a lot of support, care and reassurance from her siblings, parents and teachers.

She reflects on the moment that she received a call from the Department of Education notifying her as one of 39 top learners in the country as a moment of shock, she tells SABC, that only sunk in during yesterday’s prestigious top achiever’s breakfast ceremony to honour her and the 38 other academic greats.

This incredible student endured chronic pain, caught up on missed school days and went on to excel!

This year, Malwandla aspires to study psychology at Stellenbosch University, driven by a desire to positively impact countless lives. With a positive and unshakable spirit such as hers, we have no doubt that she will achieve great things!

Malwandla’s will to succeed and defy some really great odds has easily touched our hearts. Her inspiring journey is living proof that dreams are indeed valid and that anything is possible if you believe in it enough and work hard at attaining it! Congratulations, Malwandla!