Recently, he graduated with a degree in BEngTech Civil Engineering from Mandela University, a moment hard-earned through years of dedication and hard work.
“I saw students that I mentored grow into leaders themselves,” he says.
“That’s been the most rewarding part of this journey.”
He credits much of his success to his support system family, friends, mentors and his own refusal to quit. Even during the toughest times, he reminded himself of his vision.
Born in Zimbabwe to a Zimbabwean father and a South African mother, Tadiwa lived in South Africa for two years before moving back to Zimbabwe.
His dream had always been to study abroad, and in 2020, that dream nearly came true.
He was accepted to Swinburne University in Australia with a full scholarship, but the COVID-19 pandemic shut international borders, forcing him to take a gap year.
“Everything was ready. I had been working toward that goal for years,” he recalls. “But when the world locked down, so did my plans.”
With limited options, he came back to South Africa, encouraged by his father to pursue his studies in this country.
He was accepted into Mandela University’s civil engineering programme. But being an international student from the SADC region meant he did not qualify for financial aid or national bursaries, making the journey much harder.
“In my second and third years, I couldn’t register at the start of the academic year. I’d only manage to pay fees and register halfway through the semester,” Tadiwa explains. “It affected everything: classes, test dates, and even access to the University’s learning platforms.”
The financial pressure was too much. He could not pay in instalments, and extracurricular affiliations, like gym and printing were not included in tuition. This meant even the smallest academic task sometimes came with an extra cost.
“I attended lectures and tutorials without official registration. I wasn’t on Moodle, didn’t get test notifications, and had to rely on classmates to keep me in the loop.”
Despite the odds, Tadiwa did not give up. He juggled his studies with leadership roles. For two years, he served as a Hector Pieterson Mentor in student residences, supporting first-year students emotionally and academically even as he faced his own challenges.
“There were times I helped students deal with financial exclusion or mental health issues when I was going through the same struggles. But I learned to lead while still learning how to cope myself.”
His dedication didn’t go unnoticed. In 2022, he was crowned Mr EBEIT for being the most committed male student living on campus.
That same year, he was recognised as the Best First-Year Civil Engineering Student and received a Faculty Merit Award. He was also appointed a campus Water Ambassador, contributing to environmental awareness campaigns during the height of Gqeberha’s water crisis.
Still, academic success wasn’t always smooth. In his second year, he failed a key math module that only three students passed on the first try. But he did not let that define him. He repeated and passed the module later, proving to himself that one failure does not cancel out potential.
His third year brought another round of registration delays and financial stress, but Tadiwa kept pushing.
He earned the award for Best Student in the Construction Methods module, received another Faculty Merit Award, and was inducted into the International Golden Key Society with a Global Undergraduate Achievement Award. He also became Deputy Chairperson of the South African Institution of Civil Engineering (SAICE) Student Chapter on campus.
Through it all, he remained a steady presence for others, continuing his mentorship work and inspiring those around him.
“I had to tell myself that the situation was temporary. That if I kept showing up, eventually it would pay off.” And it did. Today, Tadiwa stands as a graduate, not just in engineering but in life resilience.
For him, the degree is more than an academic milestone; it’s proof that determination can build a future, brick by brick. “My story isn’t just about engineering,” he says. “It’s about endurance, about faith, and about lifting others while you climb.”