​​When Niel Botha says he did not expect being named the 2019 CGW Schumann Medal winner for the best postgraduate student in Stellenbosch University’s (SU)  Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences (EMS), you believe him.

You see, the down-to-earth postgraduate student is not the kind to blow his own trumpet. He lets his actions speak for him – from his exploits on the sports field to his academic achievements to his work in the community. Others observe, admire and sing his praises.

Like the Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science who nominated him for the medal and the EMS Faculty Committee who considered him the most worthy candidate.

Botha (23) was awarded the medal, named after the Faculty’s pioneer dean* and awarded annually since 1986, at an official hand-over ceremony at Stellenbosch on Friday, 26 July. The award is the highest student accolade in the Faculty. 

Botha had the following to say about being awarded the medal: “It was something I did not expect at all; it was a huge surprise! I received the e-mail confirming me as the recipient of the medal two months ago. I did not even know that I was nominated. It is a massive honour and a privilege.”

According to Prof Ingrid Woolard, Dean of the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, Botha – who received both his BCom (Actuarial Science) and his BComHons (Actuarial Science) cum laude – is a deserving winner.

“Not only does he have an extraordinary academic record, but he also continued participating in sport at a very high level, and in social impact activities. He is a great inspiration to us and to his fellow students,” said Woolard.

During his years at SU (2014-2018), Botha played cricket for Maties and Boland as a bowling all-rounder and participated in community programmes where he tutored children in disadvantaged schools and assisted in coaching clinics organised by Maties Cricket.

“I have always been very competitive, especially in sport. But ultimately the big driver for me is to make a difference. It keeps you grounded and honest and makes you better as a person,” Botha said.

The Stellenbosch resident, who hopes to pursue a career in finance, will depart for the UK in September where he will study for his Master’s in Finance at Cambridge University.

“I initially applied for a Rhodes Scholarship to study at Oxford University but that fell through. Somebody pointed me to Cambridge and as I liked the MPhil course they offer, I decided to apply and was accepted.

“The big thing was getting the money to cover my tuition and living expenses for the duration of the one-year course. Luckily I managed to secure a scholarship from the Skye Foundation, an initiative established by the Zylstra family and awarded annually to postgraduate students who are nominated by the deans of their faculties.”

Ironically, Botha almost took a completely different path when he started his studies at SU in 2014.

“I was registered to study Accounting but changed my mind at the last minute. I was probably influenced by my brother and a family member who were both studying Actuarial Science at the time. I am very glad I made the switch as I was able to utilise my mathematics abilities better.”

The former Paul Roos Gymnasium learner matriculated in 2013, and is the youngest of a family with strong roots in Stellenbosch. His mother, Wouri, and father, Dewald, a former Matie and well-known golfer, are both dentists. His middle brother, Dewald, also studied Actuarial Science at SU and captained both Maties and Boland in cricket. His eldest brother, Ian, currently working in Johannesburg, studied Engineering at SU. His grandfather, Felix Botha, was a professor in Psychology at SU.

The young Botha, it seems, is destined to follow in their footsteps.​

      *   Prof CGW Schumann, pioneer lecturer in the Faculty from 1924, and also dean for a quarter-century from 1935, contributed significantly to the faculty's development.

• Photo by Anton Jordaan: Niel Botha, winner of the 2019 CGW Schumann Medal for the best postgraduate student in the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences at Stellenbosch University, with his parents, Stellenbosch dentists Mr Dewald and Mrs Wouri Botha.