Did you know that according to Statistics South Africa, only 2,7% of unemployed South Africans in the 3rd quarter of 2022 were university graduates? Despite persistent graduate unemployment rates, a university degree is still a significant economic determinant in this country. It is particularly important for students from underserved regions in this country to access a university education to advance themselves and their families, but these students often require tailored support to successfully navigate the process of getting into an accredited institution.

GradAccess is a platform which facilitates the process of applying for university with the needs of students with limited streams of income in mind. The tool enables students to determine a career path, obtain an overview of the university applications process and receive support in applying for tertiary programs and funding. At GradAccess, our aim is to make a tertiary education truly accessible to all South African students.

About Our Founder

Khanya Mamba

Khanya Mamba is based in Johannesburg, South Africa. She holds a Bachelor of Business Science in Finance and Accounting from the University of Cape Town. She has 6 years of experience in supplemental education for lower-income students in Johannesburg and Cape Town. She is an Allan Gray Orbis Foundation Fellow and a Klaus-Jurgen Bathe Leadership scholarship recipient.

Khanya Mamba founded GradAccess (Pty) Ltd in 2020 during her undergraduate studies. Her family hails from Zwelitsha in the Eastern Cape where she spent her formative years. After she moved to Johannesburg with her mother for work, Khanya started teaching and mentoring students from schools in underserved regions similar to where she grew up when she was 14. Since then, her experience in tutoring, teaching, running after-school programs, and providing career advice exposed her to the need for technological tools to facilitate at-scale application assistance for underserved students.