With more than ten awards to his name already, Sibusiso Tshabalala is sure to collect many more during his promising career.
Sibusiso grew up in Sebokeng, a township near Vereeniging and Vanderbjilpark. Before spending his teenage years in Welkom, where he was a very active learner of THS Welkom. He was the Executive Junior Mayor for Matjhabeng Junior City Council. He was part of The Dynamica 3099 team (An entrepreneurial team which sole purpose was to help the community) that won the national SAGE competition and were given an opportunity to represent South Africa, in Brazi, where the team came fifth in the world. He was also part of a team that won a gold medal at the science expo held in Pretoria in 2009. He was head boy of HTS Welkom as well as hostel head boy of House Gratia.
Thereafter, he pursued his tertiary studies at the University of the Free State, which presented him with the Ambassador's Award.
Some of the highlights in Sibusiso's short but remarkable career include being selected as one of Google's 10 Young Minds in 2012. Every year, Google searches for 10 international students who show "strong leadership capabilities, entrepreneurial drive, and commitment to social activism". His Afrika Kusama initiative in the Free State, with its focus on promoting literacy and critical thinking skills among previously disadvantaged learners, won him this award. He was also listed as one of South Africa's Top 200 young South Africans by the Mail and Guardian.
These accomplishments followed various others, including a Pan African Universities Debating Championships award as one of the top 10 speakers, and an invitation to take part in the South American Business Forum in Argentina in 2011. The aim of this forum is to reduce the gap between generations and nationalities of the world's future leaders.
Despite the global recognition, Sibusiso takes pride in many local actions. He was the funding chair for South Africa's first student-driven and university-based CANSA relay for life. With such diverse experiences and so many stories to tell, it is no wonder that this vibrant young man's writing has appeared in the Daily Maverick, City Press, allAfrica.com, and the Mail & Guardian' s opinion platform. Thoughtleader.
Sibusiso is currently a Capetonian where he is the programme coordinator of the World Design Capital promotion project. It has been just over five years since he closed his schoolbooks to venture into the "real world", and he has already made a mark. There can be no doubt that he is a true ambassador for the University of the Free State.
(Cindé Greyling en Isaac Akinwotu)
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