Stellenbosch University
Welcome to Stellenbosch University
Perfect Mavimbela
Meet Perfect Mavimbela: #MyTygerMaties60
Author: FMHS Marketing & Communications
Published: 05/12/2016

As part of its 60th-anniversary celebrations, the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences is introducing 60 future healthcare professionals who are currently in their first year. Meet Perfect Mavimbela.

Perfect Mavimbela believes in new beginnings.  “Your life is like a movie: you’re the director, you choose the actors and you choose the scenes. It’s never too late to shout ‘Cut’ and start from the top.”

Mavimbela is a first-year B Occupational Therapy (OT) student from Nelspruit and believes in optimising each hour every day. 

“Everyone has the same amount of time, it just depends how you use it.” 

He chose to study OT because he believes it’s a good convergence of the various health disciplines. 

After his father passed away when he was eight years old, he and his sister were raised by his mother who experienced many financial obstacles to put him them through school. “I have learnt that the more pressure and pain we feel, the more we grow. I have been through a lot, but the pain forges us to be stronger.”

He has big dreams and hopes to one day specialise in adult neurology, with the letters “PhD” behind his name.

“I’m ambitious and hardworking,” he says, “but my actions actually define me better.”

Quick questions:
  • Favourite TV-character? “Sheldon Cooper from Big Bang Theory. He’s just too cool.”
  • What makes you laugh? “African comedy, such as Thenjiwe Comedy,  Mark Angel Comedy and Kamsiime.”
  • Favourite food? “Mom’s beef stew is the best!”
  • Mantra you live by? “If not now, when? If not you, who?”
  • What is the purpose of life? “To bring about change.”