Bulungula College, the first and only high school in our community, opened in 2019 as a project of the Bulungula Incubator (BI). The College forms part of our preconception-to-career approach, supporting children and families from early childhood through to employment and entrepreneurship. Many of our learners began their journeys in a BI Early Childhood Development Centre and have engaged with BI’s health, nutrition, and education programmes throughout their lives before enrolling at Bulungula College. This continuity of care strengthens both academic performance and personal development and ensures that support does not end at any single stage of a child’s life.
In just five years, Bulungula College has supported 187 learners to pass Matric — compared to an average of only six per year before the school was established, when no local high school existed. These milestones represent expanded access to quality education and meaningful progress in dismantling legacy Apartheid-era educational barriers that have historically limited opportunity for youth in our rural areas. They also reflect the importance of sustained, community-rooted investment in young people’s futures.
This commitment to leaving no young person behind is best exemplified by Zimvo Skosana, one of our oldest learners (24 years old) and the first in her immediate family to obtain a Matric certificate. Her educational journey was anything but easy. She failed a grade, dropped out during the COVID-19 pandemic, and took a gap year. When she returned to school, she failed again. It was then that she made the courageous decision to start over at Bulungula College in Grade 11. With the school’s support and her strong determination, she rose to the top of her class. That same focus and resilience carried into her Matric year, where she became BC’s 2025 top achiever — earning a Bachelor’s pass with two distinctions.
Zimvo’s story is a powerful reminder of what is possible when young people are given real opportunities and support. In most other schools, a learner with her history would have likely been turned away. But Bulungula College was founded on the principle of providing all learners with access to quality education, regardless of academic background. We are proud to be a school that keeps its doors open — and Zimvo’s success shows how this inclusive approach creates an environment where learners can rebuild confidence, grow, and excel.
When asked about her favourite part of school, Zimvo did not mention awards or her friends — she told us it is her teachers. We are intentional about creating a school environment where learners feel safe, supported, and excited to come each day. This culture of care is reinforced by a comprehensive support structure, including a full-time mental health counsellor, a professional nurse conducting weekly outreach services, a Health Point for additional healthcare needs, extracurricular activities, career guidance, tertiary application support, and a job skills and entrepreneurship programme.
At Bulungula College, we believe that educated and well-cared-for children have the power to carry families out of poverty and to contribute meaningfully to a thriving South Africa.
