He slept at a petrol station when he arrived in Durban to pursue his dreams of becoming an Auditor; but little did he know that he would graduate with high honors despite his journey being littered with many challenges.

Bonginkosi Hilton from Ekuvukeni in Ladysmith will graduate Cum Laude and receive a Dean’s Merit Award when he graduates with his National Diploma in Internal Auditing at the Durban University of Technology (Steve Biko Campus) on Wednesday next week (18 April).

“I had no accommodation or money to pay my fees when I came to study in Durban. The taxi I took from Ladysmith offloaded some of its passengers at the petrol station (behind the DUT Steve Biko Campus). I had travelled on my own from home and knew no one in Durban. I slept while sitting down in front of the garage shop,” he said.

The next day a student he met at DUT took pity on him and offered him a place to stay at his home. He stayed there for a week.

Luckily for him, a man who was a relative based in Durban offered him a place to stay for a month while he looked for accommodation. The relative owned an office near DUT which had a room at the back. “He (the relative) just phoned out of the blue and offered me a place to stay. No one works at home so I bought food using NSFAS funding. My family also sent me some money if they had any,” he said.

Hilton said his struggle in accessing NASFAS funding almost led him to give up. He said he was stuck in a queue for two days while trying to access financial aid. “I was frustrated and I decided to go back home. But I realised that giving up is not an option and came back to Durban after a week,” he said.

Thinking back, Hilton said while he was worried, courage saw him through the night that he slept at the garage.

Hilton paid for his registration using financial aid – which also paid for his fees during the first two years of his studies. As a result of his academic excellence, he received a remission of fees when he entered third year at DUT. “I received 29 distinctions out of 30 during my three years of study. I’ve learned that in life, the biggest problem is money. But never make it an issue. The lack of money should not prevent you from pursuing or realising your dreams. What you came to university for should be your main priority, not money or what you can afford,” he said.

Hilton is currently pursuing his Btech degree in Internal Auditing at DUT. He plans to become a businessman, adding that Internal Auditing will give him a deeper understanding of a business structure.

–Sinegugu Ndlovu