Kagiso Capital: Supporting our matriculants to ace the 2020 final exams during COVID-19

BACKGROUND: The final school exams are extremely significant in the lives of school learners and this is always a stressful time where extra support is needed. The Class of 2020 matriculants will be sitting for their first final exam on 19 October, when all candidates will write Life Orientation, and then the final exams start officially on 5 November and run until 15 December 2020.

This year, amid the health crisis and national lockdown brought on by COVID-19, many school days were lost and matriculants spent a large part of the year at home. Many homes are not ideal for learning, with families struggling to provide basics like food, electricity, and, in many cases, safety. Educators and the government are doing the best they can to prepare candidates, but focus on academics is not possible without a healthy diet and support at home, leaving the poor at a huge disadvantage.

With this in mind, Kagiso Capital and Growthpoint Properties will be investing R1,000,000 to assist matriculants who are most in need of these basics while preparing and writing the most important exams of their lives. Ultra-Link, the IT and Tech supply company for home and business, will sponsor high quality, comfortable masks to each learner assisted, as well as thermometers and masks to their schools, to the value of R1.25-million. 

RECIPIENTS AND THEIR ANGELS:

Featured Sponsor: Rose Mahlope, representing Kagiso Capital

Kagiso Capital (Pty) Ltd is an investment holding company, wholly owned by Kagiso Trust. The primary purpose of Kagiso Capital is to ensure the longevity of the Kagiso Trust and to diversify the investment asset base of the Trust beyond its current investments. The Kagiso Trust was established in 1986 to empower communities. Post 1994, the Trust’s focus was to secure a sustainable source of funding. It formed its own investment company – Kagiso Trust Investments (now known as KTH after the merger with Tiso Group in 2011). Kagiso Capital was subsequently established in 2014 as the Trust’s 100% owned new investment company.

The Recipients:

19 Schools in Tshwane have nominated matriculants for GMA Class of 2020 Matric Support 

A total of 375 matriculants will each receive:

* Monthly grocery hamper to take home for October, November and December: Sponsored by Growthpoint Properties and Kagiso Capital - delivered by OneCart

* Enough masks to wear at school and home for three months: Sponsored by Ultra-Link

* Additional masks and thermometers for each of the 19 Tshwane schools represented: Sponsored by Ultra-Link

* Access to 33 online tutoring workshops in different subjects presented by Goodie Tutors: Sponsored by Growthpoint Properties and Kagiso Capital

One of the schools whose matriculants will benefit from this project is Pretoria Secondary School in the Pretoria CBD 

Anton Lombardt is the Principal of Pretoria Secondary School in the Pretoria Inner City. The school receives learners from the inner city, but also rural areas and townships around the city centre. The school is not a no-fee school, however many parents just cannot afford to pay school fees. Mr Lombardt says COVID-19 hit his school particularly hard. Seven staff members, including himself tested positive. Two of these staff members died from COVID-19 and a third spent over 90 days in ICU. Two learners, who also tested positive, were asymptomatic. 

It has been a difficult catch-up for the 148 matriculants at the school, but Mr Lombardt says his staff and the matric candidates are very committed and working hard to prepare for the finals. He says attendance is extremely high and children who cannot come to school usually have challenges at home, beyond their control, that prevent them from attending. He says they have been doing Saturday and Sunday extra classes that are all very well attended. Two of the matric learners, Mmatlala Ragophala and 

Njabulo Sibiya say there is nothing that will stop them to succeed in the final exams. Even though many households in the school have been hit by job losses, poverty and other difficulties, these learners are determined to do well and go on studying to make a better future for themselves and their families. 

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