When Charlotte Mannya Maxeke graduated in the United States in 1901 as the first Black South African woman to earn a university degree, she broke a barrier that had seemed unbreakable. A century and a quarter later, her legacy is still paying fees, closing registration gaps and keeping young South African women in lecture halls.
The Charlotte Mannya-Maxeke Trust Fund provides financial assistance to young women pursuing higher education, with a particular focus on science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The fund steps in precisely where so many promising academic careers stall: covering financial shortfalls, outstanding fees and registration gaps that could otherwise force students to drop out just short of the finish line.
“This year marks the 125th anniversary of Mama Charlotte Maxeke’s graduation from university. We want to ensure that her legacy continues through this education fund. We want to ensure that women continue to thrive, because women contribute in unique ways,” said Dr Zanele Matsane, ambassador for the Charlotte Mannya-Maxeke Institute and a lecturer in Construction Management and Quantity Surveying at the University of Johannesburg.
More than money: networks that open doors
Matsane was speaking at the inaugural International Portraits of Power exhibition in Pretoria, hosted by the institute in partnership with The Presidency and participating diplomatic missions. Launched this week as part of legacy projects commemorating the 155th anniversary of Maxeke’s birth, the exhibition features portraits endorsed by 15 embassies representing countries across Africa, Europe, Asia, the Americas and Oceania — and doubles as a mentorship platform connecting international women leaders, diplomats, artists and students.
“Education is about networks. It is about understanding multiple disciplines, cultures and history. When we knock and ask to be invited into those positions of power, please keep those doors open for us as well,” Matsane told the diplomats present.
Attorney Khonzi Zondi, co-founder and managing director of Joncto & Zondi Inc. and a fellow ambassador for the foundation, said creating opportunities for young women is essential to building a more equitable future.
“We are products of the opportunities that were given to us and the paths that were paved by others. Through Mam Charlotte, we see the importance of education; it opens doors, opportunities and networks. I would not be an attorney without education,” Zondi said.
A fitting Women’s Month story
The initiative lands in the middle of a Women’s Month observed under the theme “Empowered Women Empower the Nation”, as South Africa also marks 70 years since the historic 1956 Women’s March to the Union Buildings. From one graduation gown in 1901 to bursaries, mentorship and portraits in Pretoria in 2026, Maxeke’s example keeps proving the point she made with her own life: educate a woman, and a nation moves forward.
Facts and quotes sourced from SAnews.gov.za, the South African government news agency.
Photo: commons.wikimedia.org
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