Across South Africa, small acts of foundation phase teaching innovation are already changing how children learn to read, count and make sense of the world. Yet many remain unseen beyond the classrooms where they began. The newly launched Seeds of Transformation initiative begins with a powerful recognition: these practices are seeds with the potential to reshape the education system.

A newspaper headline about a dumping site near a school was not meant to change anyone’s life — but for Rhodes University MSc in Environmental Sciences graduate Khangelani Dlamini, it did.

Hluma Xako was drawn to Computer Science because she found it a “beautifully complex” subject, one that invited her to look deeper, to understand not just how computers function, but also how they quietly power the systems that shape our everyday lives. Her academic journey reflects both curiosity and purpose: a desire to master the technical, while also understanding its impact on people and institutions.

Sitting at her desk, Phelela Hulu comes to an important realisation about her upcoming graduation for her Bachelor of Education Honours in Education Leadership and Management: “It’s the reason I went to school.” As the recently appointed manager for the GADRA Education High School programmes, she now facilitates the programmes that assist local students with accessing Rhodes University. Her journey with GADRA Education began in 2014 when she enrolled at the GADRA Matric School to upgrade her results. The motivation was straightforward. She wanted to access Rhodes University.