In the early hours of 4 December 2024 in Kimberley, far from home and in the middle of a football tournament where she represented Stellenbosch University (SU), Sukoluhle Linda Dube received the call she had been dreading. Her mother Qedisani had passed away.

Dube did not leave the tournament. Even with a heavy heart, she stayed on and played. “I was in shock. I couldn’t cry,” she recalls. “My teammates and coaches formed the most wonderful support network around me. It was so touching. I will never forget it.”

Now a junior lecturer at the Department of Economics, Dube this week walked across the graduation stage to receive the master’s degree in economics she completed during the most traumatic time of her life. 

For her graduation party at the Maties Football clubhouse, she invited all the people who carried her through the dark days – her family, colleagues and the teammates who were there for her when she needed support most.

From rural beginnings to Stellenbosch

Dube grew up in Osabeni village in Plumtree, a remote part of Zimbabwe where basic infrastructure is scarce. “We come from a village where there’s no electricity, no water,” she says. “My mom couldn’t find employment, so it was a struggle to get by.”

Her father passed away when she was just two years old, leaving her mother to raise the family. “Later my sister and brother would help her by sending money for groceries and everything we needed at home.”

It was Dube’s sister, Dr Thembani Dube, a lecturer in the Department of History at SU, who would later open the door to higher education. “There was no way I could afford to go to university,” Dube explains. “But because my sister had a permanent position at Stellenbosch University, I could come to study here through the rebate she received.”

Living with her sister, first in Klapmuts and later in Durbanville, Dube built her academic path steadily through undergraduate and honours studies before embarking on her master’s degree, supported by a bursary. “I think we are both here because it was part of God’s plan,” she says of her and her sister’s parallel journeys.

A year defined by loss

Even before her master’s year began in 2024, Dube’s family was facing mounting uncertainty. Her mother had been diagnosed with cancer a few months prior, but the extent of the illness only became clear later. In September, after her mom had travelled to South Africa for a second opinion, doctors delivered the tragic news: The cancer had reached stage four and had spread throughout her body. “We were devastated; it was so hard seeing her so weak and in pain,” Dube says.

At the same time, academic pressures were intensifying. Exams loomed, and Dube found herself navigating an almost impossible balance between grief and performance. “I wrote exams with such a weight on my shoulders. I don’t know how I did it.”

Since her first year as a Matie, football had become a refuge. As a centre back for the Maties Women’s Football Club, Dube had long found solace on the field. “For me, football is my happy place. I looked forward to Thursdays when we would practice. The exercise and the good company invigorated me, it became a source of energy and purpose.”

That refuge was tested profoundly during the University Sport South Africa (USSA) Football Championships in Kimberley in December 2024. While she played, her mother’s condition deteriorated rapidly. When the call came, her teammates and coaches rallied around her.  “Everyone cried and supported me,” she says. “They became my pillars of strength.”

The days after her mum’s death unfolded in a daze. She was overcome by grief but could not cry. Only on 14 December, at the funeral in Zimbabwe, did the weight of the loss fully surface. “At the burial site the impact of the final goodbye finally hit me. I started crying and couldn’t stop.”

Finding strength in community

Despite the emotional toll, Dube completed her master’s degree, supported by a network of people who helped carry her through. Her supervisor, Dr Calumet Links, played a pivotal role. “He was so supportive when my mom got ill,” she says. “He provided encouragement for me to complete my master’s.”

She also credits colleagues Marchelle Tony and Ursula Wanza, as well as the head of department, Prof Sophia du Plessis, for their care and understanding during the most difficult days. Beyond academia and the football community, her support system extended to her partner of four years, Siziphiwe Mpazi. “She kept on encouraging and was my safe space throughout my academic journey.”

As she looks ahead, Dube remains grounded in gratitude – for her family, her community, and the opportunities that once seemed far beyond reach. “I recently reflected how grateful I am for enjoying teaching so much and working alongside wonderful colleagues. I love Stellenbosch, I want to stay here forever. I would prefer working in an academic environment rather than the private sector.”

Dube is now preparing to begin a PhD in economics next year, supported by funding and a growing sense of purpose. “I’m an example of someone who succeeded against all odds,” she reflects. “I’m living proof that things will work out in the end.”

Her remarkable journey has reshaped how she approaches both life and work. “I learnt that self-care is very important,” she says. “You must give yourself time and be kind to yourself… forgive yourself, give yourself love. Make sure you get enough rest; it doesn’t help to push yourself when your body can’t go on.”

She now has clarity about her good fortune. “All my success is due to the grace of God and the wonderful people in my life.”