By Lilja Flohr
Student leadership often extends far beyond lecture halls and committees on the campuses of Stellenbosch University (SU). Whether through student governance, research, or social-impact initiatives, some students are actively shaping the communities around them while also redefining what student leadership can look like.
Die Matie interviewed SU students who not only are excelling academically or professionally, but who are also using their platforms, skills and experiences to make a meaningful impact within and beyond the university environment.
Arnold Ntumvi-Nguti: building community through connection
Arnold Ntumvi-Nguti, the 2025/2026 Prim Committee Chairperson, former Prim of Simonsberg and a BCom Honours student in Logistics and Supply Chain Management, believes one of the greatest strengths of SU lies in the people you encounter along the way. Looking back on his own journey, he encourages students to step outside their comfort zones and make the most of the opportunities that come their way.
“Don’t hold back. And really do take time to get to know people. Because you also grow as a person,” he said.
Having become involved in various leadership structures on campus, Ntumvi-Nguti believes university is about far more than academics. “Where else in life are you going to be surrounded by probably the brightest minds in the country – in the world?” he asked.
For him, the diversity of people, ideas and experiences available at university creates a unique environment for personal growth and learning.
Leadership has been a constant throughout Ntumvi-Nguti’s life. “I’ve been in leadership since primary school,” he said, reflecting on a journey that has included positions ranging from Head Boy at Table View High School in 2021 to residence leadership and, ultimately, Prim Committee Chairperson.
Yet, for him, leadership is not simply about holding positions. “I feel like I’m called to leadership,” he explained.
That sense of purpose has shaped his approach throughout his time at Stellenbosch, where he has consistently sought opportunities to contribute to the student experience.
At the heart of his philosophy is a desire to create a positive impact through personal relationships. “Being a meaningful leader is having that one-on-one connection with someone and bettering someone’s life in some way,” he said.
In a university environment where every student faces different challenges, Ntumvi-Nguti believes meaningful change often begins with a single conversation.
As 2025/2026 Prim Committee Chairperson, which is also an ex-officio role for the Students’ Representative Council (SRC), Ntumvi-Nguti focused on bringing people together. One of his key goals was strengthening connections between student leaders, university departments and the wider student body.
He described the relationship between students and the SRC through an analogy in which “the SRC is the head of the giraffe and the students are on the grass and there’s a large gap between the two”.
His aim, he said, was “trying to connect them”. Whether through introducing university stakeholders to student leaders or simply making himself available to others, he sees leadership as an exercise in building relationships.
“I see my job sometimes as just bringing the right people together,” he explained. “Sometimes it’s not about what you know, it’s about who you know.”
After years of investing in others through leadership and community-building, Ntumvi-Nguti said he is now considering where he can make his next contribution. “My intention is to work in a role aligned with my field of study, pursue my growing passion for student-centred work, or continue my studies by pursuing a Master’s in Logistics,” he said.
Whatever path he follows, his outlook remains grounded in faith. “Despite the uncertainty, I am trusting that the Lord has a plan for where I am meant to be next,” he said.
If there is one thing he hopes students remember about his leadership, it is that he was present. “I’m a very relational leader,” he said, adding that his goal has always been to make people feel comfortable enough to approach him.
Simiso Langa: the power of small acts
Simiso Langa, a postgraduate MSc (Plant Pathology) student and former 2025/2026 interim SRC Chairperson, believes that leadership is not measured by policies passed or meetings attended. Instead, it is found in the small moments that often go unnoticed. “My leadership philosophy is around empowering people so that they can empower themselves and others,” she explained, adding that “it’s not about the big outputs. It’s the little things.”
Reflecting on her time in student governance, she noted that “being a student leader now, compared to 10 years ago, is a bigger job” with growing responsibilities, increased public scrutiny and the challenge of representing students in an increasingly complex university environment.
Having witnessed the continued transformation of SU and the lasting impact of movements such as #FeesMustFall, Langa believes student leaders today are expected not only to advocate for change, but also to navigate difficult conversations around identity, inclusion and institutional accountability. “Fees Must Fall was an active and inescapable way that students were calling truth to power,” she said, arguing that it “forced Stellenbosch University to change in a way that it wasn’t necessarily being forced to before”.
For Langa, making a difference is less about changing institutions overnight and more about empowering individuals to recognise their own value.
She often returns to a message she first encountered in Heemstede Ladies’ Residence: that students should feel able to “take up space”. Years later, she still sees the impact of that idea. “If I’m interacting with someone, do they feel seen? Do they feel heard?” she asked. For her, those seemingly ordinary interactions are where meaningful leadership begins.
Langa believes leadership is ultimately about helping others develop the confidence to contribute their own voices. “If you can improve one person’s life, you can help one person know their worth, you can let that person know that their voice matters,” she said. “Those are the things that will eventually change the world.”
While many students arrive at university focused solely on obtaining a degree, she hopes they leave having learned something deeper: how to think critically, challenge assumptions and positively influence the communities around them.
Having served in student governance during a period of significant social and institutional change, Langa believes leadership often requires patience with outcomes that may only become visible years later. “The higher up the ladder you go, the less tangible your results become,” she reflected. Rather than focusing on immediate recognition, she values the long-term impact of creating opportunities and laying foundations for others.
She recalls that one of the greatest challenges was not only facing institutional barriers herself, but also supporting those around her. “How do you then also pick up the spirits or help them continue to fight?” she asked, explaining that much of her role “was more so to bring stability to the team”.
For Langa, meaningful change is rarely the result of one individual. Instead, it comes from empowering people, building resilient communities and trusting that the work done today may benefit students long after a leader’s term has ended.
Looking back, she believes it is often the smallest acts of kindness that leave the greatest legacy. “Being able to have done that for people, I find that to be quite rewarding,” she reflected. “It’s those small things that make the stress of it worth it.”
Brandall Swartz: bridging the gap to higher education
For Brandall Swartz, a third-year BA (International Studies) student, member of the BA Student Committee (BASC) as an elected student leader who represents all students in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences and House Committee member of Metanoia, creating opportunities for others began with recognising how difficult the access to higher education can be for many South African learners.
As a first-generation student who once had to rely on a school telephone and library computers just to apply to SU, he founded the UniDreams Foundation to ensure others would not have to face the same complicated process alone.
Swartz noted that while many underprivileged learners have the grades to succeed, they face a critical “lack of information and lack of guidance to guide them through the intricacies of applying”.
To bridge this gap, the foundation uses a peer-led model, sending university students from disadvantaged backgrounds into communities because “a learner learns best from their peers or someone they can relate to”.
Beyond structural barriers, the initiative tackles financial literacy, helping students navigate the complexities of the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) funding and the “missing middle” where unexpected student debt is a known risk.
What started in 2025 as a two-person operation between Swartz and his co-director, Lateefah Matinka, a final-year BA (Humanities) student and Chairperson of the Stellenbosch Chapter of the United Nations Association of South Africa (UNASA), has rapidly expanded into a team of seven executive members and over 60 volunteers, partnering with major social impact projects at SU.
This growth taught Swartz that effective leadership relies on strategic delegation, appointing team members who “do things better than you”, and that true social impact requires grassroots commitment.
“The best way to advance social impact is to be on the ground with the people,” he said. Through their interventions, the Unidream Foundation is actively transforming lives.
Swartz views higher education as a powerful tool for structural change, encouraging uncertain learners with the reminder that they deserve to “break generational chains” and find their true purpose.
