Reddam House’s Rethabile Mashego triumphs with 8 distinctions

For Reddam House Waterfall matriculant Rethabile Mashego, who bagged an impressive eight distinctions, the class of 2025 results are more than numbers on a statement, they are a testament to growth, faith, humility and a deeply rooted desire to serve others.

Mashego’s academic achievement crowns a year she describes as the “easiest” and most challenging of her schooling career. Like many top achievers, she entered matric with confidence after years of consistent excellence. However, matric, she soon discovered, was a different ball game altogether.

“I thought matric would be like the other years,” she said. “I’d always been strong academically so I assumed I could push through the same way. But I dropped marks early on, and that was a shock.”

The biggest surprise came in mathematics, a subject that had always been one of her strongest. Her first test result was unsettling, yielding a C instead of her usual top marks. What followed was not defeat, but a turning point.

“I had to finally accept it’s OK to ask for help. I think I was a bit too proud. I was used to being a top achiever, so I thought, ‘I’ve done this before, I’ll be fine’. But that first maths paper humbled me,” she said.

Swallowing her pride proved to be one of the most important lessons of her matric year. Mashego sought additional support through Bright Sparks Tutors and committed to weekly sessions with her maths teacher.

The consistency, discipline and willingness to learn transformed her performance and her mindset.

By the end of the year, the subject that once rattled her confidence became a triumph. She achieved 91% in her final mathematics exam, far exceeding her expectations.

Physical sciences presented its own ups and downs, particularly chemistry, which left her anxious after writing. Once again, perseverance paid off, ending with an A symbolising resilience rather than perfection.

Mashego credits her success to hard work and faith.

“The results I got are a testament to God’s work, and my hard work, His work through me,” she saids. “I’m incredibly grateful.”

Beyond academic excellence, what sets Mashego apart is the heart behind her ambitions.

Her dream is to study medicine, with Stellenbosch University her first choice. While she awaits final offers, her motivation is rooted in childhood experiences that shaped her sense of purpose.

I don’t believe we’re on this earth to live for ourselves. We’re here to live for others too

—  Rethabile Mashego

“When I was very young, my grandfather became seriously ill,” she recalls. “We were constantly in and out of hospitals. I watched health-care workers care for him with such dedication. Because of them, he’s here today celebrating my results with me.”

That early exposure planted a seed that never left her.

“I knew from about the age of five I wanted to help people,” she says. “Medicine felt like a calling.”

Her passion for service has consistently found expression in her school life. Mashego served as president of her school’s community service board, becoming its first president and continuing for a second term. Giving back, she believes, is not optional, it’s essential.

“I don’t believe we’re on this earth to live for ourselves. We’re here to live for others too.”

As she prepares for university life, Mashego looks forward not only to the demanding journey of medical studies, but to human connection, meeting people from different backgrounds, learning their stories and growing through shared experiences.

Sowetan