Kefilwe Bopape is breaking barriers with the Life after Matric initiative

For many learners in Hammanskraal, about 50km north of Pretoria, planning a future after high school can feel like navigating a foreign city without a map. Kefilwe Bopape knows this intimately and her journey began, like that of many young learners in her community, with big dreams but little information and limited support.

“There was no Google, no smartphones, just scarce information, and that made it so difficult. Learners with parents in professions like teaching or nursing had an advantage. They knew the ropes, they had guidance at home, or someone who had been to the city and could explain things. For the rest of us, we were often left guessing, trying to figure it out on our own,” Bopape said.

A visit to the University of Pretoria as part of an open day was the only window she had on post-school options. When it came time to apply for university, forms had to be filled out manually and one missed step could mean missing out on an entire academic year.

Bopape’s own path to post-matric education was marked by a frustrating gap year.

“I was at home because no university accepted me, but even if they did, I would never have got the message. I didn’t have a phone, so maybe they sent an email I couldn’t access. So that year was lost. I tried different jobs, but I didn’t give up on applying [to universities],” she said.

Eventually, an acceptance letter arrived from the University of Cape Town. Bopape’s experience at the university deepened her awareness of the barriers many students face.

“I remember joining a tutoring and outreach society called Shawco [Students Health and Welfare Centres Organisation]. It was there I realised how many learners needed help, not just with academics but with understanding the application process itself,” she said.

From these early experiences, the vision for an organisation called Life After Matric (LAM) was born. During university holidays, Bopape would invite Grade 11 learners to her home.

“I’d say to them, here’s what you can expect. You need to know your admission points score. You need to understand how to apply and which deadlines matter.

“I always felt a responsibility, like I couldn’t let others go through what I went through. When someone tells me, ‘I didn’t know how to apply and you helped me’, it makes everything worth it,” she said.

A decade of change

Founded officially in 2012, LAM started as a grassroots initiative fuelled by Bopape’s personal experience and a small but passionate team of university volunteers. LAM initially focused on career workshops for Grade 11 and Grade 12 pupils in Hammanskraal’s secondary schools, where career guidance was strikingly absent.

“Our goal was simple but urgent: to empower learners to make informed decisions about their future. I couldn’t let young people feel as lost and confused as I did when I was trying to navigate the university application process,” she said.

The early workshops also aimed to demystify all the various post-school requirements, from calculating admission point scores to understanding application forms and deadlines. Even choosing a field of study was a major challenge for many.

Recognising that career guidance alone was not enough, LAM broadened its mission to include tutoring services that support academic success.

Over the past decade, LAM has grown steadily, touching the lives of more than 1,000 pupils from the Hammanskraal community. Many of these young people have gone on to register at universities and colleges nationwide, which Bopape views as collective victories.

“Every learner who makes it through is a testament to the power of guidance and support. They’re proof that if you invest in youth in the right way, you can change not just one life, but whole communities,” she said.

Breaking the cycle

Bopape explains that academic support by itself is not sufficient to help young people in Hammanskraal overcome the obstacles they face. Many learners grow up in an environment where failure is seen as the norm and hope for a better future is scarce.

This pervasive attitude often causes them to disengage from their studies because succeeding feels out of reach. 

“Failure is easier to accept than risking success when you’ve never seen it,” she said solemnly.

This resignation often stems from limited examples of achievement in learners’ immediate family or community. Many have siblings or cousins who have failed matric or dropped out and are working in local shops or informal jobs, shaping a mindset that settling for less is inevitable. For these youth, wanting something more and better is a foreign concept.

To disrupt this cycle, LAM created a network of mentors and coaches who provide not only academic support, but also emotional and psychological guidance. These mentors act as vital role models who encourage learners to keep pushing forward, building their confidence and expanding their vision for what they can achieve.

Bopape called upon close friends to step into this mentoring role. She would ask them to “adopt a learner”, offering encouragement and serving as a steady pillar on whom the learners could rely during difficult moments. By having someone to whom they can attach their hope, learners begin to believe that it is possible to overcome their circumstances.

Challenges and victories

There is no shortage of challenges in running an organisation like LAM. Bopape faces hurdles ranging from limited funding and a lack of infrastructure to technical difficulties, such as inconsistent internet connectivity and the digital divide that affects many learners in Hammanskraal.

Despite the difficulties, Bopape’s energy and passion are sustained by the success stories that emerge from the community year after year. Former pupils she once guided now contact her with joy-filled updates, sharing pictures from their graduation days, announcing new jobs or celebrating earned degrees. These moments offer tangible proof that LAM’s work makes a real, lasting impact on young lives.

“These are the moments that fill me with hope and remind me why this journey matters,” Bopape said.

Looking to the future, her vision for LAM is both ambitious and deeply rooted in the realities young people face in her community. She is an advocate for a fundamental shift in how learners are prepared for life after matric, and emphasises the need to prioritise practical skills, employability and entrepreneurship alongside formal education.

From her perspective, waiting passively for job opportunities is no longer viable. Instead, young people should be equipped and empowered to create their own opportunities, be innovative and build sustainable livelihoods on their own terms.

To realise this vision, LAM aims to grow its tutoring team and increase the number of qualified mentors and academic supporters who can reach more learners all over Hammanskraal. Central to these plans is the long-held dream of securing a permanent centre in the community — a dedicated space where learners can access resources, tutoring, skills training and mentorship under one roof. DM