Overcoming challenges on the basketball court has helped rising sports star Lutho Skweyiya score a slam dunk in the academic arena as well.  

The Maties Sportsman of the Year for 2023 graduated from Stellenbosch University (SU) on 14 December with a postgraduate Advanced Diploma in Sustainable Development. 

Success on the court or in the lecture hall has not come easy for this motivated athlete who grew up living in Khayelitsha and then Gugulethu, before the family moved to Montana when he was in primary school. Smaller in stature than many of his teammates, Skweyiya has had to work harder to earn his spot in the Maties Basketball team. His dedication paid off, and he has been a standout player at University Sport South Africa (USSA) competitions and recently played for South Africa at the World University Games in Chengdu, China.  

Masie Ntlali, Maties Basketball head coach, says he first recognised Skweyiya’s talent when he was in Grade 9 at the Western Cape Sport School. “When he arrived here at Maties in 2019, he had to adjust to the physicality of the game and be able to navigate his way through the bigger opponents. We had to work on his confidence, speed, strength and power to complement his basketball IQ for him to be able to compete at a senior level. Now Lutho is a solid point guard who does not fear anyone no matter how big the team because he understands his own strength.” 

Skweyiya says his determination to succeed stems from the many role models and mentors he has encountered in his life. “Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu”. Loosely translated into English, it means “a human being is a human because of other beings”. His parents inspired his work ethic and encouraged him to never give up on his goals. Sporting role models include his first basketball coach in primary school, Craig Daniels, and high school coaches Theslin Davids and Khetelo Lala who helped him realise his talents.  

Coach Masie also nurtured his talents “on and off the floor” says Skweyiya. “He really played a huge role in moulding me into the man I am today.” Peers, such as school captains Khensany Mhakabela and Xabiso Mtambeka, also played their part. “Witnessing someone that’s nearly your age relentlessly putting in the work towards their ambitions just burned a fire in me to want and do a lot more for myself.” 

Sport has always been a driving force for Skweyiya, who recalls dressing up as a professional athlete rather than a lawyer or doctor on his school career day. He developed an entrepreneurial spirit at a young age, and in school he would trade his cartoon sketches for lunch money and in high school, he made some extra cash by charging friends to use his Wi-Fi signal. This sparked an interest in business, which lead to a diploma in Sustainable Development. “I gravitated towards the course as it offered modules rooted in innovative design principles, with a view to developing students to become industry leaders.” 

The pandemic hit during the second year of his undergraduate studies, and Skweyiya admits that he struggled to stay on course. Fortunately, SU’s academic support stepped in to help Skweyiya complete his degree. He also benefitted from the unwavering financial and emotional support of Maties Sport and Maties Basketball’s management. “They ensured that all my academic and accommodation needs were taken care of. They fought a lot of battles for the basketball student athletes, leaving us in much better positions than we started off.” He says he was able to focus on his studies knowing that his fees were covered.  

Balancing a flourishing sports career with his studies has taught him how to “strike a line of priorities between the two”. It has helped him develop the “irrational confidence” that he uses to approach all aspects of his life. “When you have a dream, you must be determined and even obsessed. As a smaller-sized player I am often the underdog in most games. Being able to block out the noise and impose my will knowing there’s no opponent more capable and prepared to win than me, gives me the confidence to overcome my own fear.” 

He applies many of the skills he has developed in sport to his everyday life. “I try to bring the same passion, discipline and respect to my work and studies. It also helps when your studies or work align with your personal goals.” Skweyiya is currently working and upskilling himself in the financial management industry. “Aspiring to be a professional athlete and a practitioner in sustainability will require a lot of hard work, but honestly, I cannot be more excited.”