First child at university – what to do?

The Opportunity of a Lifetime To Study Business Starts Now!

There is a gaping need for free; quality and sustainable education which is certainly not a new phenomenon in South Africa, the #FeesMustFall crisis is a good example. It is a harsh reality that many South Africans are still not able to access tertiary education due to socio-economic constraints. But there is hope and there are options as experienced by Western Cape students awarded scholarships to study accredited leadership and entrepreneurship qualifications at a local award-winning business school. These students come from diverse backgrounds around the country, but their dreams are the same – to study at tertiary level and change not only their own lives, but those around them.

This story of hope begins post-democracy South Africa when four individuals came together with a common belief that by providing educational opportunities and increasing access to education we could fill the historical education and skills’ gap and hasten the transformation period in our fledgling democracy. In 2004 they founded the accredited, non-profit Tertiary School in Business Administration (TSiBA) and just thirteen years later there is undeniable proof that this award-winning university is driving social change by igniting opportunities for youth. TSiBA boasts a 96% employment rate with its degree graduates and double the throughput rate compared to the South African national average.

First year TSiBA student Yandiswa Tshixo, 20 years old, says “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity that TSiBA has given to me as I’m the first one in my family to go to university. I plan to grab this opportunity with both hands; I want to be a good role model to my younger siblings. It gives me a sense of purpose knowing that by studying further at TSiBA I will be able to eliminate poverty in my community.”

“TSiBA is uniquely positioned to enable students to progress in their tertiary degree programmes, find aspirational employment or thrive as entrepreneurs. Rather than pay back their scholarships monetarily, these students are required to Pay it Forward transferring knowledge, skills and resources they will gain at TSiBA back into their communities. In just seven cohorts TSiBA has graduated eight Mandela Rhodes Scholars, three Kofi Annan Scholars, three Allan Gray Orbis Foundation Fellows and continues to receive multiple social change awards”, says Adri Marais, TSiBA CEO and one of four Co-founders.

To date TSiBA has awarded over 4 500 scholarships to talented young people, across its two campuses, who may otherwise not have had access to higher education for academic or financial reasons.

TSiBA is now looking to Ignite Opportunity for more talented youth and has officially opened Applications for 2018. Space is limited and applicants are urged to apply early to ensure they are eligible for selection. If you, or anyone you know, has potential, a desire to study business and make a difference in the world find out how to apply on www.tsiba.ac.za. Alternatively contact Kwanele Magwaca on 021 532 2750 for more information on how to make your dreams a reality.

Issued by TSiBA Education NPC: www.tsiba.ac.za

EDITOR’S NOTES: Fast Facts: Quick Stats: What is TSiBA?

• TSiBA’s mission is to be an innovative learning community that graduates entrepreneurial leaders who ignite opportunity and social change
• The Tertiary School in Business Administration (TSiBA) is a private, not-for-profit business school founded in 2004, registered and fully accredited with the Department of Higher Education & Training as a private higher education institution (No: 2007/HE08/001) as well as with the Services Seta (Accreditation No: 3919)
• TSiBA serves around 500 full-time students between an urban campus in Pinelands, Cape Town and a rural campus, TSIBA Eden, in the remote town of Karatara, near Knysna
• Students are previously disadvantaged South Africans who, for academic and financial reasons, may be underprepared and would otherwise be unable to access tertiary education
• Students are not required to pay for their education monetarily, but rather to Pay it Forward by transferring the knowledge, skills and resources they gain at TSiBA into their communities
• To fulfil the TSiBA mission, the focus is on producing one of three outcomes for its graduates: 1. Placement in further tertiary education .2. Placement in meaningful and aspirant employment .3. Own local regional SME within 5 to 10 years of graduating
• TSiBA collaborates with corporates, foundations and individual funders who sponsor the operations and management of the institution
• Following the success and impact of its 4 main academic programmes, TSiBA offers commercial services that honour, leverage and support TSiBA’s vision of Igniting Opportunity: TSiBA Education Solutions, TSiBA Career Centre & TSiBA Ignition Centre

TSiBA Awards

1. Student Awards: 3 Kofi Annan Fellows, 3 Allan Gray Orbis Fellows and 8 Mandela Rhodes Scholars since 2004, all of whom have gone on postgraduate level study at eminent public universities around the world.
2. 2016: Black Management Forum Youth Chapter of the Year
3. 2016: Finalist in the Businesswoman of the Year: Social Entrepreneurship category for Adri Marais (TSiBA CEO & Co-founder)
4. 2016: Finalist in the Top Women: Female Entrepreneur category: Adri Marais
5. 2016: Finalist in the Businesswomen of the Year Awards: Social Entrepreneurship Category: Adri Marais
6. 2016: ECO-LOGIC Awards: Energy Efficiency: Certificate of Merit: TSiBA Education
7. 2015: Winner of the inaugural 2015 Eduweek Africa Award in the Higher Education category
8. 2015: Bronze Ministerial Youth Excellence Award: Youth in Rural and Farm Areas
9. 2014: Winner of the Mail & Guardian Drivers of Change Awards: “Investing in the Future Youth Development”. The ‘Youth Development’ category assessed projects nationwide that best demonstrated how NPO’s had contributed to the wellbeing of our society, and who go beyond the conventional in anti-poverty and development work.
10. 2014: Winner of Eskom’s 2014 Eta Awards in the Community Category, focused on the theme of ‘Institutionalizing energy savings’.
11. 2013: Impumelelo Gold Award for social innovation for being an exceptional model for rural tertiary education.
12. 2012: SIFE SA Administrator of the Year
13. 2011: TSiBA Eden granted Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa (WESSA) Green Flag Status. 2015: Western Cape Premier’s Entrepreneurship Recognition Awards (PERA 2015): Best Social Enterprise Category – 3rd place for the TSiBA Career Centre