He may have had a more delayed start to school than most, but Siphosethu Ndlovu’s perseverance has paid off. He couldn’t help but celebrate his hard-earned academic success in a way that the entire graduation hall could feel!
Durban, South Africa (08 May 2025) – Years of hard work driven by the desire to achieve academic excellence, even when others thought he couldn’t do it, culminated in a most heartwarming moment on the graduation stage for Siphosethu Ndlovu.
A now-viral video with close to 159k views, shared by the University of KwaZulu-Natal, shows the proud graduate up on his wheelchair as he belts out a gospel song, expressing his thanks to the man above for seeing him through to this glorious moment.
His uncontainable energy lit up the entire hall as his peers and the dignitaries applauded and joined him in song.
“In this moment, a graduate in a wheelchair sang his truth on the UKZN stage and the entire hall felt it,” the post was captioned.
On his personal Facebook page, Siphosethu, who hails from Ixopo in KwaZulu-Natal, revealed that he started school at the age of 15 and couldn’t believe that despite the challenges, setbacks and his disability, he is today a two-time graduate with a degree and an honours in criminology and forensic studies.
His incredible achievement and the sheer emotion of his graduation song have touched hearts across the internet, with viewers congratulating Siphosethu and one even commenting:
“If there is one person I know who is forever grateful for the gift of life, it is Siphosethu. I have so much respect for this guy.”
We join in celebrating this driven and determined man who has proven that anything is possible and that even though a journey may look slightly different from the norm, it can still result in success and inspire countless others.
Sources: University of KwaZulu-Natal | Siphosethu Ndlovu
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