Shigamani rewards top achievers as school results improve
The Shigamani Traditional Council honoured top NSC performers, part of a community effort that raised the school's pass rate from 58% to 87%.
LIMPOPO – It was a joyful occasion at Shigamani Traditional Council Hall on Friday when the Shigamani Traditional Council honoured the Class of 2025 for their achievements in the National Senior Certificate Examination.
The celebration followed years of steady improvement at Shigamani Secondary School, after the school recorded a 58.3% pass rate in 2021.
Concerned by the results, community leadership intervened in 2022, visiting the school regularly to motivate learners and encourage academic excellence. The intervention quickly yielded positive results. In 2022, the school achieved an 84% pass rate, becoming the best performing school in the Malamulele West circuit. This upward trend continued in 2025, with the school recording an impressive 86.7% pass rate.
Three top learners were rewarded for their outstanding performance. Phutselo John Nhlongo, who achieved 81.9%, received a laptop and R10 000 in cash. Amukelani Surprise Mkhabele, with 68.4%, received R6 000, while Kulani Excellent Nkuna, who obtained 65.7%, received R4 000.
Shigamani Traditional Council chief Bohani Shigamani said the three learners shared R20 000 in prize money and each received a laptop.
He explained that the initiative was driven by the need to reverse the school’s poor performance in 2021. “These annual awards are about motivating Gr 12 learners after the shocking results of 58.3% in 2021. Our intervention in 2022 helped the school improve to 84%, making it the best-performing school in the Malamulele west circuit,” said Shigamani.
He added that the school has continued to improve since the intervention and has not underperformed again. “We are assisting our top learners with the support of the community and sponsors from outside our area who believe in supporting the education of an African child,” he said.
Shigamani praised the community’s role in sustaining the initiative, saying it had become a powerful tool in restoring pride, confidence and academic excellence at the school.
