Rotshidzwa Valencia Maphupha
Nominee's Province:
Limpopo
Project Name/Description:
Munau Primary School, teacher and philanthropist
At just 28 years old, Rotshidzwa Valencia Maphupha, has three qualifications in her name. She holds BCom, Postgraduate Certificate in Education from the University of Johannesburg (UJ) and an Advanced Diploma Intermediate Mathematics Education from North West University. Her passion for education is visible as she is currently doing her Bachelor of Education Honours in Education Leadership and Management with UJ. A teaching profession is nothing new in her family as both of her parents were teachers. As a child, she was bullied by fellow learners, body shamed and ridiculed for having a dark skin. She is using her personal experience to help children who are experiencing bullying as perpetrators or victims. She is not only a teacher at Munau primary school in Limpopo’s Vhembe district, but she has also co-founded The Maria Maphupha Foundation which is an after-school learning program offering free extra lessons to learners who cannot afford a private tutoring. She is the winner for the 2023 SHE Global Awards, runner up for the She Millionaire Africa Business Awards and Founder of the Year Awards (FOYA) 2025.
