A North-West University (NWU) student hopped into her graduation day on the Potchefstroom campus with arguably the cutest guest in attendance – her bunny, Saica.

Kimé Steenkamp, a BCom Chartered Accounting graduate, brought along her fluffy friend to celebrate the special milestone, last month.

Saica, named after the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA), has been by her side throughout her academic journey.

“He became my little study companion. I felt that he was part of the journey in his own way. He was there during the challenging moments, so including him in such a significant milestone felt very meaningful,” explained Kimé, who is originally from Boksburg.

According to Kimé, Saica proved to be the ideal study partner.

“He’s very quiet by nature, so there were no distractions. He has been a great source of comfort, especially during demanding study periods and late nights. Having him around made the experience feel less overwhelming.”

Saica’s appearance on graduation day obviously did not go unnoticed, especially as he wore a small graduation cap.

“Many people were curious and excited and he received a lot of attention. It added a special and memorable touch to the day,” she said.

While bunnies are known for their gentle and calm personalities, Kimé admits they can also have a mischievous streak.

“Saica even managed to eat some of my notes during the semester. I quickly learned to keep my expensive SAICA IFRS textbooks safely out of reach. Besides accounting, protecting my notes from my bunny was one of my biggest challenges.”