Failing matric twice did not stop Gugulethu Ngubane

“Failing matric twice broke me. I never healed from not seeing my name in the newspaper. Though going back behind the desk at 26 was terrifying, I knew I had to do it.”

These words belong to Gugulethu Ngubane, a Kempton Park resident who returned to the classroom years after failing matric, and walked away with three distinctions in the 2025 National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations.

Ngubane completed her matric at The Franciscan Matric Project (FMP), an NPO based in Reiger Park. Founded in 1986 by the late Father Stan Brennan, the NGO has, for nearly four decades, offered tuition in the FET phase (Grades 10, 11, and 12) to learners who need a second chance.

For Ngubane, that second chance was life-changing.
“After failing in 2017 and again in 2018 after an upgrade, I lost all confidence in myself.
“I carried that failure for years. In 2019, I returned home to KwaZulu-Natal before coming back to Johannesburg later that year. While my academic journey had stalled, my life had not.”

In 2020, her mother discovered WeThinkCode, a coding academy that accepts students without matric.
“It was the first place that saw my potential and not my results. I enrolled in software engineering, graduated in 2022 and secured a workplace placement. But when my contract ended in 2024, the absence of matric once again became a barrier.

“Trying to find work without a matric crushed me. Every background check reminded me of what I didn’t have.
“That moment sparked a difficult but decisive choice. I realised I had to stop running from matric and needed to go back, fully behind the desk.”

Ngubane said that from the very first day, she made a firm decision that this time would be different.

“I took my learning seriously, listened in class, prepared for every test and asked for help when I didn’t understand.”

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According to her, support from FMP teachers played a crucial role.
“They never made me feel ashamed for failing before. They believed in me.”

She emphasised that a guiding principle kept her focused.
“Always remember YOUR why. Whenever I felt tired or discouraged, I reminded myself why I enrolled.”

Ngubane said her faith also anchored her journey.
“I’m a Christian, and this time I prayed over my books and my academics constantly.
“The turning point came early. After the first-term report, I realised I could actually do this. That was the biggest lesson that failure is not final.”

When the final results were released, she said she was emotional, humbled and grateful.
“When I sent my results to my mom, she called me crying because she was so proud,” she said,

Now focused on saving to further her studies in IT, Ngubane hopes to work for companies abroad one day. But more than career ambitions, she hopes her story reaches those who feel left behind.
“Never give up on yourself. You’re not too late. You’re not a failure. If I could go back and do it, so can you.”

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