Top achievers honoured at Polokwane Academic Excellence Awards

Students who performed exceptionally well during the 2025 academic year, as well as the mentors and tutors who contributed to their success, were celebrated during the Academic Excellence Awards held at the Polokwane Campus.

Jakalala Mamabolo was awarded Best Advanced Student. Campus Rector Dr Walter Tshamano urged first-year students to draw inspiration from those who came before them and to work diligently to make a difference.

Guest speaker, Deputy Director-General of Corporate Services at the Department of Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs, Seriana Kgoahla, spoke about the importance of balancing academics and a social life and the dedication it takes to achieve excellence, saying that excellence requires serious commitment, dedication, and resilience.

The top achievers were presented with gifts from Standard Bank, which partnered with TUT to celebrate the students’ hard work in each faculty.

The awards featured the Campus Rector’s Award, which was presented to Jabulile Masumbika (Faculty of Humanities), who was recognised for her incredible work serving on the Campus Student Representative Council while simultaneously achieving excellent grades in her studies.

Itumeleng Mahlatji was recognised as the Best Diploma Student. This year’s awards also saw ABSA Bank awarding two top students in the Faculty of Management Sciences (Diploma and Advanced Diploma) the sum of R5 000 each, in celebration of their dedication.

Earning yet another accolade on top of being a recipient of the Chancellor’s Award was Itumeleng Mahlatji, who was recognised as the Best Diploma Student, while Jakalala Mamabolo was awarded Best Advanced Student.

Jabulile Masumbika received the Campus Rector’s Award.