5 times South African kids made us proud

It's always a feel-good moment reading about the achievements of children and there were many heartwarming moments in South Africa in 2018. 

These are just five children who left us feeling like the future is in good hands:

Hlulani Baloyi

This grade 7 pupil at Magangeni Primary School will be flying the South African flag in Kenya at the African Spelling Bee later this month.

Hlulani Baloyi, who is 13-years-old, says she practices by reading the dictionary every day. 

She draws inspiration from late struggle icon Nelson Mandela's book, Long Walk to Freedom.

"It represents what the greatest hero in South Africa has sacrificed for himself and us," says Baloyi, whose favourite word is 'freedom'.

Reabetswe Kungwane

Writing a book is no easy task and many adults venture into the literary space completely unprepared for the pressure and workload that comes with publishing a book.

This is why Mzansi was excited to celebrate with 9-year old Reabetswe when her book  Stories you have never heard before was published.

When she's not writing, the young author enjoys ballet dancing.

Since her book was published, Reabetswe, a pupil at Crawford College, visits schools encouraging her peers to read more.

Sibahle Zwane

Dubbed the 'human calculator', Sibahle Zwane became an instant hit on social media when videos of him doing complex calculations surfaced in September.

The grade 4 pupil is not just a maths genius, he's also a bit of an entrepreneur. His mother was surprised to learn that the youngster charged R2 to let strangers quiz him.

"I've seen this boy come home with R100 and R200 notes which he then gives to his grandfather to keep for him," said Mbali Zwane, Sibahle's mom.

Gabriella Mogale 

When people lost their homes and valuables in the 2017 Knysna fires, 13-year old Gabriella Mogale was inspired to act. 

"I thought, 'why hasn't someone done something about this because for years, informal settlements have been going up in flames?'"

Mogale is the brains behind the model for a fire-resistant shack which she entered into the Eskom Expo for Young Scientists. 

Banele Mhango

Chess is no easy game, but 15-year old Banele Mhango makes it look like child's play. 

Mhango has competed in various countries including Kenya and Egypt, where he scooped third place and earned a candidate master rating.

Mhango is determined. "My aim is to be a grandmaster." 

But this might be easier said than done because Mhango relies on the generosity of good samaritans to get to competitive events.