When 19-year-old Arthur Mathebula asked for R2,500 to attend his Matric Dance, he never imagined South Africans would give him so much more.
Pretoria, South Africa (15 September 2025) – Sometimes bravery doesn’t look like standing on a stage or speaking to a crowd. Sometimes it looks like a young man putting his heart out on the internet and asking for help.
That’s exactly what 19-year-old Arthur Mathebula, a Grade 12 learner at Hoërskool Pretoria-Wes, did when he created a BackaBuddy campaign to raise funds for his Matric Dance. His request was simple: R2,500 to cover the ticket, his outfit and a few essentials. A once-in-a-lifetime night that he didn’t want to miss.
“This year marks a very special moment in my life, my Matric Dance, which is like a prom and is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for every matric learner. Unfortunately, I cannot afford the costs involved, and I don’t want to miss out on celebrating this important milestone with my classmates. Your support will go towards covering the costs of my outfit, ticket, and other expenses for the event. This is more than just a dance, it’s a memory I will cherish forever.”
And then something remarkable happened.
Within just 11 hours, the South African community came together and completely smashed his target. What started at zero is now sitting on over R11,000… enough to make sure Arthur not only gets to enjoy his Matric Dance but has a cushion for what comes next.
It all began when Paballo Maseko stumbled across Arthur’s BackaBuddy link and noticed it hadn’t received a single donation yet.
She shared it with her followers, writing, “I stumbled across a young boy’s backabuddy link for his matric dance. Can we help him reach his target guys? 🥹”
The internet responded. Her post inspired everyone who came across it. People donated anything from R10 and R50 to larger amounts like R300, R500 and even R1,000. Each contribution, no matter how big or small, added up to something extraordinary.
South Africans also left words of encouragement alongside their donations, turning Arthur’s campaign into a thread of kindness.
“I don’t have much but I hope this helps ❤️ All the best boyza ✨🤌🏽”
“Enjoy the dance. Try to save some money for future endeavours. Remember, the world is full of kindly people.”
“All the best. Please make sure you use some of the money to apply for Varsity.”
Social media can sometimes get labelled as toxic or destructive. But this story is proof that it can also be a space where strangers unite to do something meaningful, kind, and unforgettable.
Arthur now has more than just the means to go to his Matric Dance… he has a reminder that there are people rooting for him, people who want him to succeed and people who believe in his future.
*The crowdfund was at R11,238 at the time of publishing this article; it has since increased to R19,578.
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