Academic excellence meets creative ambition in standout graduate journey

A graduate who faced many setbacks during her matric year has emerged as a top achiever at Tshwane University of Technology, earning multiple qualifications Cum Laude and the Chancellor’s Award in the Faculty of Humanities while building a parallel creative career.

Reagile Frances Makwela, research assistant in the Department of Journalism and Integrated Communication, charted an unconventional path to academia. As a school learner, she already showed early leadership by founding the first Mr and Ms Pretoria Secondary School and coordinating events that continued as a tradition at school. She also engaged in humanitarian work through the Douglas Foundation, a large philanthropic trust that invests in education, health, and social innovation, in partnership with the US Embassy, performing at embassy events with a school choir she established.

During her matric year, she experienced the loss of two close family members, which affected her studies. Despite this, she achieved a bachelor’s degree pass. Unable to apply to university immediately, she sought career guidance at Boston Business College, where results pointed her towards public relations.

She remained active beyond formal studies. She worked in promotions and public relations in the Pretoria CBD and built a creative career as a DJ, holding an eight-year residency at Tampico Spur and performing at corporate events including those hosted by NECSA and the Miss South Africa private gala dinner. She also worked as a master of ceremonies at the Pretoria State Theatre and briefly as a personal assistant to stylist Mihlali Gqada, where she contributed to branding for S’dudla Couture.

The COVID-19 lockdown disrupted her entrepreneurial activities and prompted her return to academia. In 2021, she enrolled for a Diploma in Integrated Communication at TUT. She committed fully to her studies, pausing her music career to focus.

She completed her Work Integrated Learning at the TUT Journal at the Ga-Rankuwa Campus in 2023, where she designed the publication’s current logo and slogan, “leading through reading,” and established its social media presence. She graduated with 19 distinctions and an average of 92.3%, earning the Chancellor’s Award for exceptional academic achievement in the Faculty of Humanities.

Continuing her academic journey, she graduated Cum Laude for an Advanced Diploma in Integrated Communication in 2024. Alongside her studies, she developed her music under the name Reagile Rey, introducing Kiroho, a fusion of African chants in Swahili, Shona, isiZulu and Sepedi with Afro House. Her track “Maru” charted on Motsweding Top 30 for three months, while “Doro Doro” and “Mungu” further expanded her portfolio.

In 2025, she pursued one of her early interests and enrolled for an Honours Degree/Postgraduate Diploma in Journalism. On 15 April 2026, she graduated Cum Laude, once again topping her class.

In her current role, she contributes to research while applying her communication expertise through branding and managing the department’s social media platforms. She says her journey reflects a commitment to both academic excellence and creative expression, guided by her belief that creativity should never be suppressed.