Giving up on her dream of becoming her family’s first university graduate has never been an option for 18-year-old Atenkosi Mzilikazi, even if it means selling ice in the scorching summer heat or knocking on doors asking strangers for R10. Mzilikazi, a first-year student at the University of Cape Town (UCT), is one of thousands facing financial exclusion at the institution, where gross student debt exceeded R1bn as of December 31 2025, according to the university. From Amalinda in East London in the Eastern Cape, Mzilikazi owes UCT about R130,000 and is currently under a fee block because her debt exceeds R10,000, preventing her from registering, accessing her results, or applying for further funding.
“I enrolled last year for a Bachelor of Social Science, majoring in sociology and African feminist studies. But at the end of the year, I couldn’t get my results because I owed fees. If you owe more than R10,000, the university blocks you from registering.
I can’t even apply for a bursary because I haven’t seen my results,” she said. She received partial funding through her father’s workplace bursary, but it was not enough to cover her full costs. “I applied for NSFAS (National Student Financial Aid Scheme) thinking it would come through,” she said.
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“But I was later advised by the head of finances at UCT to take a gap year because my application had gone missing from the system.” “I want to make my family proud. I have three siblings, and I’m the third-born. My two older siblings couldn’t continue with their studies because there was no money.” She watched her mother struggle to keep food on the table and clothes on their backs, a reality that fuels her determination.
Though her father later managed to secure her a workplace bursary, the shortfall left her scrambling to raise funds on her own. “I’ve been selling ice in my neighbourhood and going door to door asking for R10 donations. My community has been incredibly supportive; some people even gave more.
I also started a BackaBuddy campaign, and so far I’ve managed to raise R20,000,” she said. She began fundraising in December, she said, but not everyone believed her story.
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