South African sprinter Bayanda Walaza has reminisced about the moment he overheard a conversation about what it would take to attend a top school that could nurture his talent.
Walaza is currently the world’s fastest teenager and an Olympic 4x100m relay silver medallist.
“It hit me that no matter how hard I worked, without support, I might not make it,” Walaza said.
“I was in a place where I knew I had big dreams, but I didn’t quite know how to reach them. Mentally, I was determined, but sometimes it felt like the odds were stacked against me.”
The 19-year-old saw his life change when the Ruta Sechaba Foundation awarded him a scholarship to attend Curro Hazeldean in Pretoria, where he completed his matric in 2024.
Nelson Mandela Day
Walaza is now paying it forward by leading the foundation’s Nelson Mandela Day “I Funded A Future” campaign, rallying South Africans to help raise 67 donations and unlock a bonus scholarship for a learner in need.
After only weeks under coach Thabo Matebedi, Walaza was shaving tenths of a second off his 100m and 200m personal bests and winning gold in both events at the SA U20 Championships.
By August, the schoolboy, at that time, had an Olympic silver medal around his neck as a member of South Africa’s 4x100m relay team in Paris.
In May, Walaza ran the 100m in a personal best of 9.94 seconds, just twelve hundredths of a second outside Akani Simbine’s national record.
Reflecting on his journey from a backyard shack in Katlehong, Ekurhuleni, to the pinnacle of youth athletics, Walaza remains a powerful voice in South African sport, inspiring the next generation as he champions access to education and opportunity.
Walaza said the idea of a “world-class education” felt like something other children had, which he only saw on TV or read about.
However, the scholarship from the Ruta Sechaba Foundation changed that perception.
Finding balance between studies and athletics
“It felt out of reach, like it belonged to a different world. I’ll never forget that day. I was in total shock.
“For a second, I thought it might be a mistake. But then it sank in, and I just felt this wave of gratitude,” Walaza added.
Walaza is one of more than 3 000 young people awarded Ruta Sechaba (Sesotho for educating the nation) scholarships to Curro schools since 2016.
Recipients are selected for their academic and sporting excellence, leadership potential, and commitment to making a difference in their communities.
After passing matric (with a distinction in isiZulu), Walaza now combines athletics with supply chain management studies at Tshwane University of Technology.
