“I was born and raised in Lusikisiki, a small town in the Eastern Cape, where opportunities were scarce, but my determination was always greater,” said Silondile, 24.
“I went to one of the most impoverished high schools, kilometres away from home. The long, exhausting walks to school daily, made me realise one thing - I needed to get out. That’s why I pushed myself to finish matric in three years,” said Silondile.
And in 2017, at the tender age of 16, she did what she set out to do, matriculating with exceptional results.
Without any guidance, when it came to choosing a career path, Silondile started her degree in BCom Accounting. In her second year she switched to, Information Technology (IT) and Finance and by her third year changed again, dropping Finance and double majoring in IT.
2020 was meant to be Silondile’s final year of study until – the COVID-19 pandemic struck the globe.
“We were sent home, and I found myself back in my village. The environment wasn’t conducive for learning, and the sudden shift to online learning completely threw me off. I struggled,” said Silondile.
Then reality struck and Silondile realised that she wasn’t passionate about what she was studying.
“I didn’t see myself in that career field at all. That realisation, combined with the uncertainties surrounding the pandemic, sent me into a deep depression. I lost my drive, stopped putting in effort, which eventually led to me failing a module – it was at this point, I knew I had to make a change,” said Silondile. And in 2021, with nothing to lose, Silondile applied to start her LLB.
“I was accepted and secured funding and my first two years were online.” During this time, over the exam period, her 7-month old baby sister died due to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and despite the heaviness of her loss, Silondile managed to write her exams, even obtaining a merit award.
Then in her third year, things took a turn for the worse, when she lost her funding.
“Suddenly, I was in survival mode, I took a job as an invigilator, but the money was barely enough. I had to rely on food parcels and the SASSA SRD grant to get by,” recalls Silondile.
She didn’t have her own laptop and spent nights, working until the early hours of the morning, in the University labs, then went straight to class before heading to work in the evenings.
“I was barely hanging on, anyone who looked at me could see, I was desperately struggling, said Silondile.
“But even in my darkest moments, there were glimmers of hope and in that June, I got vacation work at a top law firm in Sandton. They covered all my expenses and even paid me a stipend, which I used to buy a second-hand laptop,” said Silondile, who describes this as a turning point.
By 2024, Silondile had accumulated over R100,000 in student debt. She knew she would not secure accommodation with such a large debt. She won a house committee position, which secured her a room and a stipend for her final year of study.
Silondile, still needed money for living expenses, so she applied for every job she could find. She became a First Year Student Buddy, and invigilation,” she said.
“I worked because I had no choice, I needed the money, but I also made sure I gave my best in every role I took on. If I had a choice, I would have focused solely on my studies but being poor and unfunded meant I had to fight for myself,” said Silondile.
In April, things started changing for the better when Silondile secured her articles at a prestigious corporate law firm. She was also recognised as a Gradstar Top 500 - one of the top 500 most employable Students in South Africa and one of only 33 from Nelson Mandela University. She was elected as the Chairperson of the house committee at Phase Three.
In August, because of her excellent academic performance in the previous year, Silondile was invited to apply for a scholarship. Then in November, three days before her final exams, Silondile, received the scholarship offer, which she describes as the most life-changing moment. “And just like that - my entire student debt was cleared,” she said.
“Every morning, when I put on my blazer and step into my corporate law job, I remind myself - I made it and thank myself for never giving up,” said Silondile, who works as a Candidate Attorney at Webber Wentzel.
And while Silondile’s graduation story is one of trial, tribulation and rocky roads, it’s also a story of resilience, perseverance and above all, a story of triumph.