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8 Famous South Africans Who Are School Or University Dropouts

8 Famous South Africans Who Are School Or University Dropouts

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High-profile celebrities who dropped out of school or university often have stories of being discovered at a young age, making a college education unnecessary to earn money. But some of these South Africans found fame later, and didn’t finish school because at the time, they couldn’t afford it or didn’t fit in.

Boity Thulo. Photo: Timeslive.co.za
Boity Thulo. Photo: Timeslive.co.za

Boity Thulo

Boity Thulo is a TV personality best known as a presenter on ETV’s music show, “Club 808,” and for her role as Mpho Bogatsu on “Mzansi Magic’s Rockville.” Thulo recently came forward to protest high university fees in her country. The celebrity had to drop out of university after her second year because her parents could not afford to pay for her third year.

Source: Okmzansi.co.za

Cassper Nyovest. Photo: Timeslive.co.za
Cassper Nyovest. Photo: Timeslive.co.za

Cassper Nyovest

Cassper Nyovest has toured with top artists like D’banj and Talib Kwali. Thulo realized in high school that he was put on this Earth to create music. After repeating grade 10, Nyovest dropped out of high school. The artist was clear with his parents that he wasn’t dropping out because he was stupid, but because he didn’t want to attend anymore.

Source: Sowetanlive.co.za

Bonang Matheba. Photo: Timeslive.co.za
Bonang Matheba. Photo: Timeslive.co.za

Bonang Matheba

TV host Bonang Matheba presents the famous SABC 1 music show, “Live Amp,” and the Metro FM station radio show, “The Front Row.” Well spoken and highly intelligent, the star actually dropped out of the University of Johannesburg. Matheba was excluded from a course after failing it several times. The celebrity originally wanted to study to become a preschool teacher.

Source: Sundayworld.co.za, Channel24.co.za

Charlize Theron. Photo: 2016auditions.com
Charlize Theron. Photo: 2016auditions.com

Charlize Theron

Academy Award-winning actor Charlize Theron only completed primary school before receiving a one-year modeling contract at the age of 16 through a local competition. This event launched a modeling tour of Europe and the U.S. When Theron was 19, she moved to Los Angeles and started acting.

Source: Britannica.com

Andile Sithole. Photo: Enca.com
Andile Sithole. Photo: Enca.com

Andile Sithole

Andile Sithole expressed an interest in acting from a young age. He started writing his own plays, which he would take to local hospices and schools in his town of Hammarsdale, letting his classmates act in them. When Sithole was 14, his father died, leaving his mother too poor to pay his school fees. Young Sithole was kicked out of school. Only after landing a role on ETV’s popular soap opera, “Scandal,” was he able to begin paying school fees and return to college.

Source: Etv.co.za

Minni Dlamini. Photo: Youthvillage.co.za
Minni Dlamini. Photo: Youthvillage.co.za

Minni Dlamini

TV presenter Minni Dlamini has worked on the SABC 1 shows “Live” and “Mzansi Insider.” Dlamini was studying at the University of Cape Town when she decided to try her luck in the search for the next “Live” presenter. Dlamini landed the role and had to quit school when she moved to Johannesburg to pursue her TV work.

Source: Incwajana.com, Youthvillage.co.za

Johann Rupert - CEO of Richemont
Johann Rupert – CEO of Richemont – forbes.com

Johann Rupert

Chairman of Swiss luxury goods company Richemont, Johann Rupert began studies in economics and company law at the University of Stellenbosch, but he dropped out to go into business. Johann furthered his education with an apprenticeship in New York, later founding Rand Merchant Bank and becoming a billionaire.

Source: Venturesafrica.com

Justin Stanford. Photo: disrupt-africa.com
Justin Stanford. Photo: disrupt-africa.com

Justin Stanford

At 29, Justin Stanford was named one of South Africa’s top investors and entrepreneurs. Stanford started doing business at 13, selling apple juice to classmates and by 18 decided he was done with school and dropped out. Stanford soon became the sole distributor of anti-virus software ESET in South Africa, and his company makes over $10 million a year.

Source: Venturesafrica.com