At 17, most teenagers are focused on navigating adolescence. Mongiwa Hazel Ntuli was navigating university-level actuarial formulas—and graduating.
One of the youngest-ever graduates from the University of Pretoria, Hazel earned her degree in Actuarial Science before many students her age had even chosen a career path. But this isn’t just a feel-good story about academic brilliance. It’s a story about system-defying grit, underdog persistence, and what it really takes to break through structures not designed for girls like her.
Raised in KwaZulu-Natal, Hazel was never handed the privilege of mediocrity. From an early age, she stood out for her ability to engage with abstract ideas far beyond her years. She completed high school at just 13. By 14, she was enrolled in one of South Africa’s most academically rigorous programmes—Actuarial Science.
“I’ve never chased attention,” Hazel said in a recent interview. “What I’ve always chased is truth—what I’m capable of, and how far I can go.”
University life didn’t come tailored for a teenager. She was surrounded by older peers, expected to perform on par, or better. But Hazel wasn’t trying to keep up. She was setting the pace. Long hours in lecture halls, endless pages of statistical modelling, and industry-level financial theory—she absorbed it all.
And now, at 17, she has done what few adults can claim—earn an Actuarial Science degree from a top university.
Her achievement has caught the attention of educators, policymakers, and private sector players—but Hazel isn’t basking in the spotlight. Her focus is on opening the doors wider. She’s been speaking to young students, especially girls from underfunded schools, urging them to push past what they’ve been told is “enough”.
“I want them to know: your age, your gender, where you’re from—none of it should cap your potential,” she said. “The systems around us might not always be ready. But that doesn’t mean we wait for permission.”
Hazel’s ambition isn’t stopping with one degree. She plans to write her professional actuarial exams, explore data science, and ultimately lead reform in how young talent is discovered and nurtured across Africa.
Her story isn’t about being a genius. It’s about being a grounded, focused, deeply self-aware young woman who knew what she wanted, and never let her age—or anyone else—dictate the timeline.
No slogans. Just substance.
