{"id":1713,"date":"2025-09-27T07:54:21","date_gmt":"2025-09-27T05:54:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pixleyindependent.co.za\/?p=1713"},"modified":"2025-09-27T07:54:21","modified_gmt":"2025-09-27T05:54:21","slug":"spus-lethabo-mmuiemang-among-sas-top-nine-students-at-international-olympiad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pixleyindependent.co.za\/?p=1713","title":{"rendered":"SPU\u2019s Lethabo Mmuiemang Among SA\u2019s Top Nine Students at International Olympiad"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Kuruman<\/p>\n

Lethabo Mmuiemang (pictured) has been selected as one of the top nine students in South Africa to represent the country at the prestigious International Financial Security Olympiad<\/a>\u00a0in Russia from 26 September to 4 October 2025.<\/p>\n

A dedicated and passionate leader with a multifaceted background in entrepreneurship and student empowerment, the third-year BCom: Economics student reflects on this achievement with humility and pride:<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was first advertised by the\u00a0Division of Student Affairs<\/a>\u00a0in March 2024, and I advanced to the second stage but did not qualify for the finals. I reapplied this year, progressed through all stages, and I am honoured to be among the top nine students in the country who will represent our university.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Olympiad, hosted annually by the Russian Federation for BRICS countries, is a globally recognised platform that attracts only the best and brightest young minds. It covers four fields: Jurisprudence, Economics, Applied Mathematics and Informatics, and International Relations, and takes place in two main stages: the Preliminaries (online, in April) and the Finals (on-site in Sochi, Russia). Lethabo, who hails from Kuruman in the Northern Cape, will represent South Africa in the Economics track of the competition. This achievement is a testament to her academic excellence and analytical strength.<\/p>\n

For students who excel, the Olympiad is not only a test of knowledge but also a gateway to international opportunities. Winners will be offered full scholarships to study at leading universities in Russia, while runners-up will receive a 50 percent tuition reduction. Both categories will also be considered for internships with the Federal Financial Monitoring Service of the Russian Federation and other high-level institutions.<\/p>\n

Lethabo shares that she is particularly excited to use her visit as a chance to explore and understand Russia\u2019s economic framework, while drawing comparisons to South Africa. She believes this international platform will enrich her academic journey, broaden her perspective, and provide her with a unique advantage in her chosen field of development economics.<\/p>\n

\u201cEconomics has always been a subject close to my heart since primary school, and although the course is challenging, it has developed my analytical thinking and problem-solving abilities. It has especially strengthened my ability to critically examine social and economic issues and to develop innovative solutions. These skills and this passion were instrumental in helping me succeed in my second attempt at the International Financial Security Olympiad.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her story is not only about individual success but also about the calibre of students nurtured at\u00a0SPU<\/a>. Throughout her academic career, she has consistently displayed innovation, leadership and resilience. She founded and co-founded projects within\u00a0Enactus<\/a>\u00a0as its first President, achieving national recognition and corporate support. The Aqua Solutions South Africa project reached the top 12 in the Enactus National Exposition and Farmily placed in the top five for the Ford C3 Building Sustainable Communities project.<\/p>\n

She also served as the first chairperson of the\u00a0Student Women Economic Empowerment Programme (SWEEP)<\/a>\u00a0at\u00a0SPU<\/a>. She credits this role with opening doors to international recognition, including her selection for a student exchange programme in London in 2024, hosted by the\u00a0London School of Economics and the British Council<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis experience greatly honed my leadership and social entrepreneurship skills and further inspired my commitment to creating meaningful impact,\u201d she adds. Her future plans reflect the same drive and vision. Lethabo hopes to pursue postgraduate studies in Economics, focusing on Economic Development with the aim of finding practical solutions to pressing challenges such as youth unemployment and food insecurity. She also hopes to continue participating in international programmes that will deepen her passion and give her fresh perspectives.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to thank SPU for helping me shape my journey, from being an ordinary student to becoming a student leader with international exposure. The opportunities, support and guidance I have received here have not only equipped me academically but also empowered me to grow as a leader who can contribute on both national and international stages.\u201d<\/p>\n

As she sets her sights on this exciting journey, her achievement stands as a shining example of the excellence, determination, and global readiness of SPU students. We wish Lethabo success and the best of luck as she represents both South Africa and Sol Plaatje University with distinction.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Kuruman Lethabo Mmuiemang (pictured) has been selected as one of the top nine students in<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1714,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1713","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-education"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pixleyindependent.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1713","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pixleyindependent.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pixleyindependent.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pixleyindependent.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pixleyindependent.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1713"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/pixleyindependent.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1713\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1715,"href":"https:\/\/pixleyindependent.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1713\/revisions\/1715"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pixleyindependent.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1714"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pixleyindependent.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1713"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pixleyindependent.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1713"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pixleyindependent.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1713"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}