Top student gets a gift with a difference

Gifted: Eduloan's Johan Wasserfall presents a laptop to VC Dr Max Price and student Lutando Ngqakaza.

Days of relying on on-campus computer laboratories to do assignments are a thing of the past for UCT student Lutando Ngqakaza after he was handed a brand new laptop, courtesy of Eduloan.

The gift particularly comes in handy for the third-year BSc student in information technology as he intends to do postgraduate studies straight after graduating. "This means I can now take my work home and not always come to the labs for my projects," a jubilant Ngqakaza said.

Eduloan chief executive officer Johan Wasserfall explained that every year-end their tradition has always been to provide gifts to clients. However, to celebrate their valued partnerships with institutions, they decided last year to consolidate the funds that would have been spent on the gifts to provide a laptop to each institution towards their deserving student.

Ngqakaza was chosen because he has been on the Chancellor's List - a list of students doing well academically - for two years running, and is currently in the top spot. Wasserfall said they have been getting positive responses from all institutions, and hope to continue in future. The machine was presented to vice-chancellor, Dr Max Price, on 31 March.