If you want to watch a rising star, keep your eye on Sam Junior Mbatha, a third-year communication student on the campus in Mahikeng.

 

Sam first made his mark as the Varsity football MC and then reached another milestone when he was part of the team for the NWU Solar Car Project, Naledi (meaning ‘star’). This saw him jetting off to Australia as part of the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge.

 

During the challenge, Sam was responsible for social media content curating, NWU Solar Car brand visibility, and shooting inserts for the university's online platform, BUAtv.

 

Star quality shining through

 

Juggling a demanding academic schedule and his ever-growing social commitments, Sam’s star quality started shining through when he joined the campus newspaper, The Album. He started out as a campus journalist with entertainment as his beat and later became the section’s sub-editor.

 

Speaking with excitement, Sam readily admits that his most outstanding opportunities came in twos.

 

One was being appointed as a student assistant responsible for social media content at the campus in Mahikeng. The other was the opportunity to co-host the North West Provincial Lilizela Tourism Awards ceremony alongside award-winning artist and actress KB Motsilenyane.