Latest news with #StStithiansBoys'College
TimesLIVE
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- TimesLIVE
When stars say yes: 4 times celebrities made matric dance dreams come true
South Africa has seen a growing and heartwarming trend of celebrities showing up at matric dances — not as performers but as dates, chaperones and dream-makers. What used to be a formal farewell to high school has become a cultural phenomenon full of glitz, glam and sometimes a touch of stardom. The latest star to step into the matric dance spotlight is Grammy Award-winner Tyla, who surprised a school and the country by showing up in person for a persistent fan. But she's not the first Mzansi celeb to do so. Here's a look at four unforgettable moments when South African celebrities turned pupils' matric dance dreams into reality: Tyla surprises Mo after a viral campaign Mollwane Madiba, or 'Mo' as he's known on TikTok, had one wish which was to have Tyla, an internationally celebrated pop star, attend his matric dance. For weeks he campaigned online with videos, hashtags such as #MOandTYLAForMD, and even a cardboard cut-out of Tyla dressed in her 2025 Met Gala outfit. His classmates rallied behind him, chanting 'Tyla, obviously!' when asked who Mo would take. At first, there was silence, with many hinting she was busy, hosting the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards and prepping her single Is It, but just when hope seemed lost, Tyla did the unthinkable. As her unreleased single played at Mo's matric dance at St Stithians Boys' College in Johannesburg, Tyla walked in with the crowd erupting in excitement — and Mo speechless. 'I came here dateless, I came here with a board of you, but I'm glad you came. It made me happy,' Mo told her in a video posted by 5FM. To which the 23-year-old Grammy award-winner said 'Awww', and gave him a hug with a smile. Lasizwe says 'Yes' on TikTok YouTuber and entertainer Lasizwe Dambuza proved he's more than just a social media star when he responded to a fan's TikTok request earlier this year. 'A few weeks ago, I saw a TikTok of this young lady asking me to be her matric dance partner. So, I said 'yes',' Lasizwe posted on Instagram, with videos of him dressed for the occasion. He arrived with his brother Lungile Dambuza by his side and the group shared a night full of laughter, style and plenty of wholesome content. It was more than just an appearance which was a moment of pure joy and fan connection. Cassper Nyovest pulls up in style In 2023 rapper Cassper helped make a Rustenburg pupil's dream come true when he escorted her to her matric dance at Selly Park Secondary School. In true Cassper fashion, he didn't hold back: the pair arrived in a luxurious Mercedes-Benz Maybach coupe, flanked by two Mercedes-Benz G-Wagons. The moment went viral, not just for the entrance, but for Cassper's genuine gesture. The star, known for his love of luxury vehicles, brought his A-game, as he is known for his impressive multimillion rand car collection, which includes the Mercedes-Benz Maybach GLS600, which costs more than R4m, a Bentley Continental GT V8 valued at more than R5m and a Rolls-Royce Wraith, which costs more than R8m. Maps Maponyane: The ultimate chaperone In 2018 TV personality Maps was asked to chaperone a matric couple to their dance — and he said yes. 'Got to chaperone this beautiful matric dance couple to their dance over the weekend, and we had such a good time,' Maps posted, with photos from the evening. One of the pupils tweeted: 'Thank you from the bottom of my heart for making our matric dance epic. The best night of my young life.' And that wasn't the last time Maps showed up for the youth — in 2019 he accompanied Micheala Laurie, sister of Miss South Africa Liesl Laurie, to her dance, captioning a sweet post: 'I was someone's matric dance date this weekend. Hope you had a memorable day. You looked like a princess.' Once modest school events, matric dances in South Africa have evolved into high-end productions with designer gowns, luxury cars, professional photographers, and now celebrity appearances. From viral TikToks to radio interviews and social media campaigns, pupils are using creativity and courage to connect with their idols. Whether it's Tyla, Lasizwe, Cassper or Maps, these celebrities have proven that saying 'yes' can mean everything to a young person on a night they'll never forget.
TimesLIVE
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- TimesLIVE
Tyla jets to SA for matric dance surprise visit
Grammy award-winning Tyla partnered with 5FM to surprise a local student at his matric dance. Tyla, who spends much of her time in Los Angeles, jetted off to SA and St Stithians Boys' College in Joburg to make Mollwane ('Mo') Madiba's dream of having her as his date come true. 'From the US to South Africa! I'm so grateful to the 5FM team — you guys honestly revived this moment for me. It's just been an amazing thing. It's going down in the history books! I was literally dateless because I asked Tyla … and then Tyla pulled through! I'll never forget it! On the dance floor she said, 'Come, we're singing!' and shouted 'Mollwane and Tyla for MD!' I heard her say that I'm a gentleman, by the way. Thank you, Tyla!' Mo said. Since February, Mo had been campaigning using the hash tag #MOandTYLAForMD, pleading with Tyla to join him on his special day, shooting him up trends lists as his TikTok video was shared across the globe, finally getting the attention of the superstar. The post even got the attention of the 5FM team, who decided to help him reach his goal. Though Tyla had previously mentioned she would not be able to attend, weeks down the line saw the singer performing her latest single Is It at the Mears Hall in the school. 'When we saw Mo's video, we knew we had to get involved and pull all the strings we can,' said Masi Mdingane, Business Manager for 5FM and Good Hope FM. 'This is what 5FM is about — moving the youth of South Africa, celebrating their courage, and amplifying the voices and stories that inspire the nation. If it means asking Tyla for one epic surprise, then that's what we do. Thank you to Tyla, her family and her team for making this happen … and to Mo and Saints for starting a fire that'll burn in many hearts for a long time to come.'
News24
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- News24
War cry battles: St Stithians Boys, Jeppe Girls, and Redhill win 5FM's challenge
St Stithians Boys' College, Jeppe High School for Girls, and Redhill School claimed R20 000 as winners of the 5FM War Cry competition. The War Cry Initiative elevated South African chants into a nationwide challenge, spotlighting high school talent across nine provinces. Some of the winners plan to reinvest their prize money into the communities that supported them. South African schools have long been celebrated for their electrifying war cries, a spirited cultural legacy that echoes nationwide across sports fields and school grounds. Through its War Cry Initiative, this powerful cultural expression has been propelled into 5FM's nationwide competition that recognises and celebrates talent among high schools. Nine provinces, hundreds of submissions, and a prize of R20 000 up for grabs—three Gauteng schools emerged victorious as the winners of the 2025 5FM War Cry competition: St Stithians Boys' College, Jeppe High School for Girls and Redhill School. The joyous celebration unfolded in the SABC Radio Park foyer, with the air buzzing with the sounds of saxophones, jubilant singing, and thunderous war cries as the winners marked their achievements. News24 The schools were invited to 5FM's offices to receive their R20 000 prize money, courtesy of Standard Bank, while sharing a breakfast. Chad Bacher, president of the Redhill School Spirit Team, said the win meant a lot to them. "I can remember when we were planning this idea of the war cry—we were just in class, and it was so electrifying, even from then. This was the end goal. It's so exciting to have been on this journey with 5FM, Standard Bank, and our Redhill community, so it feels so good to be seen," he said. He spoke about the dedication to building the Redhill spirit team's legacy. READ| "We have put in work—it's all about building our legacy as Redhill Spirit because we are one of the smaller schools that entered. But we have the heart and spirit that carried us through." While undecided on utilising the prize money, Chad said it was likely to be invested back into the community that supported them. News24 Similarly, Kadijah Bah from Jeppe Girls shared their plans to give back to their school community. "Because we are a government school, we hope to use the money to help the girls who can't go on school trips and sports tours. We also want to invest in building a proper guard hut for our guards because it's currently small," she said. Winning brought immense pride to the all-girls school. "Being here is so amazing. Winning a war cry competition as an all-girls school feels so good because there's this misconception that girls can't be loud. The fact that we made it so far feels incredible," Bah added. News24 The head of spirits from St Stithians Boys College, John-Paul Suzi-Banda, echoed those sentiments. "We put four hours a week into practising and ensuring that we put together a strong submission. It feels good to win because we worked hard," he said. He reflected on their contributions and added, "We're happy to have participated in this competition, and it's fulfilling to know our war cry was so well received." Nick Hamman, host of 5 Breakfast on 5FM, applauded the significance and growth of this annual event. "We received countless entries—I honestly can't remember how many. At the initial stages of the competition, we intentionally made it easy for schools to submit. From every corner of South Africa, high schools sent entries of all kinds. We spent countless nights watching, downloading, and listening," he said. Hamman emphasised the global admiration for South African war cries, particularly among the youth. "Globally, South Africans, especially young ones, are applauded for their war cries. As 5FM, the voice of the youth, we knew we had a responsibility to elevate these young voices." He also highlighted the competition's rise in visibility, with last year's submissions attracting praise from celebrities like A$AP Ferg and Sharon Stone and coverage from major sports networks worldwide. The 2025 edition of the competition featured an inclusive judging process that considered co-ed, boys-only, and girls-only schools equally. Hamman reflected on a pivotal moment from the previous year: "A girls' school won last year, which was amazing because, historically, people assume boys' schools are better at war cries. Yet, the girls' entry from St Stithians College outshone them all." This year, the boys from St Stithians reclaimed the spotlight with another stellar performance. Hamman highlighted the integrity behind the evaluations: "There's an internal rubric shared among stakeholders within 5FM and Standard Bank. We look closely at social media engagement, listener metrics, and public feedback. Ultimately, a panel of people, informed by the public, makes the final decision."
