Hey you.
Yes, you — the South African student. Or the permanent resident. Or the passport holder. Or even the student halfway across the world who somehow ended up here on my blog. This one is for you.
Now, let’s talk. Like really talk.
I’ve got something to say — not just for South Africans, but especially for students in South Africa.
And also not just for South African citizens — but permanent residents too. You see, permanent residents can pretty much do everything citizens can do in this country. We can open bank accounts, apply to school, register for accommodation, cry over application fees — the whole package. We just can’t vote. So if you thought we were out here chilling, think again.
Let me tell you my story real quick:
I got accepted into a really good school last year.
Like… a really good one.
The kind that makes you feel like your dreams are walking closer.
But guess what?
I didn’t go.
Wanna know why?
Money.
That one five-letter word that can either make your dreams feel possible… or feel like they were playing hide-and-seek and forgot to come back.
So yeah — I was stuck. I am stuck. But I’m not staying stuck.
I’m going for public college now.
I’m doing it. I’ve got no choice. And listen, it’s not the end of the world.
In fact — to everyone who’s also “ending up” in a public college — breathe. You’re not a failure. You’re not behind. You’re not cursed. You’re just taking a different road. And different doesn’t mean doomed.
Public colleges in South Africa? Honestly? They have SO many things that can help you.
Financial aid, bursaries, help with accommodation, textbooks — literally everything except maybe emotional support when load shedding hits during exam prep. (We suffer together.)
And this is why I say:
South Africa, with all its drama and politics and potholes and everything — is still a privilege to live in.
Yeah, I said it.
I’ve heard people — especially some foreigners — say there are no opportunities here. And I get it. I’m a legal permanent resident myself, and I’ve seen both the beauty and the struggle.
But sometimes, it’s not just about the system.
It’s about the mindset.
You can’t come from another country with the same mindset that kept you stuck there, and expect it to magically work here. If you’re from, say, Uganda or Congo (I’m Congolese myself, so I’m speaking with love), and you bring that same tired, defeated, “there’s-nothing-here” attitude — it won’t get you far.
You have to adapt. You have to learn. You have to push.
I know so many Congolese people — legal ones, too — who still feel like South Africa has nothing for them. And I get it. The struggle is real. But at the same time…
There are opportunities.
You just have to do things the right way. Legally. Ethically. Patiently.
(And yeah, that last one hurts sometimes.)
But listen — whether you’re a student in Mzansi or in Morocco or in Mars (okay maybe not Mars), the reality is this:
If you’re feeling like your dreams are slipping because of money, or papers, or fear — please don’t give up.
Don’t leave yourself like that.
Don’t stay that way.
You’re still young. You’re still breathing. You’re still here.
That means you can still do something.
Apply again. Ask again. Try again.
Even if you’ve heard "no" fifty times, keep looking for the yes that’ll change everything.
Right now, I’m praying that this public college journey of mine? It works. I pray I don’t regret it. I pray it leads to something beautiful.
And I pray the same thing for you — wherever you are.
South African, Congolese, Zimbabwean, Ghanaian, Indian, American, wherever.
We’re students. We’re fighters.
We cry. We stress. We procrastinate. (Admit it.)
But we don’t give up.
So, if you’ve got nothing else left but hope — hold on to that. Sometimes, that’s the thing that carries you through.
This post is for all of us who are still trying, still dreaming, still broke but blessed, and still believing that something good can come out of this mess.
We will make it.
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