Unisa KZN hosts successful autumn graduations

The Unisa KwaZulu-Natal Region hosted successful 2024 autumn graduation ceremonies over six days. Students in the region celebrated the fruitful results of their hard-earned success with different qualifications conferred at the Olive Convention Centre, where the graduation ceremonies were held.

Deidre Penelope Breytenbach

Unisa is proud of being the largest university in South Africa by enrolment, being recognised as a leading open distance learning university, and listing many notable South Africans as its alumni.

The regional graduations were conducted with great nobility, appreciation and motivation. Guests filled the maximum space capacity daily to support their loved ones.

The region also hosted 58-year-old Deidre Penelope Breytenbach, who graduated with a bachelor’s degree from the College of Accounting Sciences. Breytenbach started her journey with Unisa 10 years ago, at 47 years old, completing an NQF5 in 2015. She began her Bachelor of Accounting Sciences degree in Management Accounting, which is her passion, as encouraged by her auditor at work and her beloved husband.

Sharing her experience, Breytenbach says: “My academic journey was not easy. It was incredibly long since I moved to Mozambique for a year and returned to South Africa for assignments and exams when I experienced poor network connectivity.”

While still pursuing her studies, her husband sadly passed away after a long sickness. This consequently affected her studies as her husband played a crucial role in her pursuit of education. Remembering why she started and that her husband would have loved to see her complete her degree. She turned her grief into motivation to complete her studies.

Breytenbach says she thanks Unisa for making education accessible. Asked about future aspirations, she says she will be pursuing her studies further. “I want to inspire young people to persevere in education to achieve their dreams,” she concludes.

*By Amanda Mthengi, Communications Intern, Unisa KwaZulu-Natal Region