Ms Philisiwe Ngubane, a high achiever who matriculated at Zuzulwazi Secondary School in uMgungundlovu with seven distinctions, is the top student going into the first-year MBChB programme at UKZN’s Medical School, scoring 47 points and an aggregate of 93.83% on enrolment!

Ngubane was uMgungundlovu District’s overall top achiever and placed sixth in KwaZulu-Natal’s class of 2024.

Ngubane’s highly impressive academic successes have brought unbridled joy to her family, friends, and especially her grandmother, Ms Eunice Shezi, who played an extremely supportive role in her upbringing.

‘I was very excited,’ said Ngubane. ‘I couldn’t believe my results! It felt completely surreal but, at the end of the day, I was very proud of myself.’

Ngubane says she always had a strong passion for studying medicine and so knew that in order to get into the field, she had to excel academically. She visited UKZN’s College of Health Sciences’ exhibition stand on the Pietermaritzburg campus during Open Day 2024, where all her questions about studying medicine were answered. She said finally being at medical school in 2025 is a dream come true.

‘I want to live in a country where access to medical attention is guaranteed,’ said Ngubane, who lives by the motto: Be the change you want to see in the world!

Ngubane said, in addition to her supportive family, she overcame challenges through self-control, self-discipline and self-confidence.

Her hobbies include: reading, debating and ‘exploring new and adventurous things’.

Words and photo: Lunga Memela

Caption: Ms Philisiwe Ngubane.