Mzansi showed up for one of its bright young talents! Atang Phahlamohlaka, a young basketball player studying and training abroad, needed help to pay for his tuition to move forward in his education and basketball career, and South Africans united to make his dreams a reality.
Novi Sad, Serbia (12 November 2025) – It’s always inspiring to witness young people go after their dreams, relentlessly so.
At just 19, Joburg-born teen Atang Phahlamohlaka is chasing a dream that’s bigger than himself.
In 2023, he set off to the United States, leaving behind his single mom, family, and everything he’d ever known, to chase his dream of playing basketball professionally and building a better future for himself, his family and community through something he truly loves.
Atang spent the 2023-24 school year in Jacksonville, Florida, at Potter’s House Christian Academy, where he maintained a 4.0 GPA.
He then spent this past school year in Novi Sad, Serbia, pushing himself even harder to earn straight A’s, becoming one of the best students in his grade. He’s done all this while continuing to develop his basketball game at a high level.
“The last two years, I’ve been away from home, grinding day in and day out, staying disciplined and focused both academically and athletically,” Atang said.
The only challenge, however, was that his academic schooling abroad wasn’t fully paid for.
“I was on a partial scholarship, which meant my mother and grandmother carried the financial burden— tuition, travel, and living expenses.”
“She’s worked herself to the bone, making sacrifices every step of the way just to make sure I had this opportunity. I’m truly blessed to have her,” Atang shared.
However, when his family weren’t able to raise the R130,000 needed to pay the Infinitum Academy in Serbia so Atang could get his diploma, South Africans and his supporters abroad showed up in a big way!
After launching a BackaBuddy campaign five months ago, generous donors contributed whatever they could to help. The result? Atang reached 100% of his funding goal! This will ensure the driven and determined athlete completes his high school journey and moves on to the next level of playing collegiate basketball.
Atang’s journey is proof that when South Africans invest in their youth, they invest in a better future for us all.
View this post on Instagram
Sources: BackaBuddy
Don’t ever miss the Good Things. Download the Good Things Guy App now on Apple or Google.
Do you have something to add to this story? Please share it in the comments or follow GoodThingsGuy on Facebook and Twitter to keep up to date with good news as it happens, or share your good news with us by clicking here or click the link below to listen to the Good Things Guy Podcast with Brent Lindeque – South Africa’s very own Good Things Guy. He’s on a mission to change what the world pays attention to, and he truly believes there’s good news around us. In the Good Things Guy podcast, you’ll meet these everyday heroes and hear their incredible stories:
Or catch an episode of Good Things with Brent Lindeque or our Weekly Top 5 below. The videos here are always changing, updated with the latest episodes from these two shows. Both are part of Good Things TV, created to bring South Africans balance at a time when the news can feel overwhelmingly negative. Our goal is simple: to remind you that there are still so many good things happening in our country – and to leave you feeling a little more proudly South African.
by 