St John’s College celebrated Upper V Speech Day on Thursday, 8 October 2026, in the Rene England Auditorium.
Speech Day is one of the highlights of the St John’s year, and a moment to recognise the many ways in which our students have distinguished themselves. This year’s prizes honour academic excellence, creative and cultural distinction, sporting commitment, eloquence and innovative thought. They also recognise qualities that cannot be measured by results alone: leadership, resilience, service, integrity, compassion and growth.
From contributions to Chapel, House and community life to quiet courage in the face of adversity, these awards celebrate young people who have enriched the school through both what they have achieved and who they have become. Congratulations to all of this year’s recipients.
Headmasters' Trophy
The highest honour, awarded to the matriculant who most embodies the spirit of Lux, Vita, Caritas.
Simon Musset
--
At times in 2026, it must have seemed as though the roles were reversed. As I bumbled through Mass, asked for clarity on certain traditions or simply sought help understanding the daily ebb and flow of College life, one could have been forgiven for wondering who was the Headmaster and who was the student.
In my first year as Executive Headmaster of St John’s College, I was blessed to walk alongside a young man who was humble, approachable, calm and patient, although his performance at Grobs left much to be desired!
Simon has been a cornerstone of College life and has distinguished himself as a wonderful leader of men. A national-level water polo player, he earned honours in the sport, and he was also a valued member of the 1st XV, deservedly awarded his colours at the end of the season.
Few people truly understand the care, service and pressure that come with the title of Head of School. Whether leading the School in the big arenas (the amphitheatre, fixtures and corporate events) or in the small ones (at tea, alongside a field or in meetings), he has done so with humility, understanding, intent, wisdom and grace.
He carried this heavy responsibility with profound emotional intelligence, balancing the needs of the institution with care for the individual. His legacy endures in the strengthened brotherhood and elevated standard of conduct he leaves behind.
For his quiet strength, his unwavering integrity, the indelible example he has set through relentless service, and for partnering with me in my first year as Headmaster, Simon is a most deserving recipient of the Headmaster’s Award for 2026.
The Le Sueur Cup
The Le Sueur Cup is the Inter-House trophy awarded to the College House that has accumulated the most points in inter-house events in 2026.
1st Hill, 2nd Clarke 3rd Hodgson, 4th Thomson, 5th Nash, 6th Clayton, and a tie in 7th place with Alston and Fleming.
The Allen Senior Cup
The Allen Senior Cup is the inter-house trophy awarded to the House whose seniors have accumulated the most points in inter-house events in 2026.
1st Hill, 2nd Hodgson, 3rd Nash, 4th Clarke, 5th Clayton, 6th Thomson, 7th Alston, 8th Runge and 9th Fleming
The OJs' OJ Award
An award that is voted on by the Matrics. The award is for the boy who in the opinion of his peers, will be most successful, not because he is a top academic or sportsman but because of the qualities of honesty and integrity. A young man who exemplifies "Lux, Vita, Caritas".
Oliver Bouilliart
The St John Award
Awarded to a young man in each House who has shown significant growth and progress from his Remove year. This could be in several fields or in one particular area. The recipient is a fine young man who upholds the values of the school, who has grown in self-confidence and ability as a consequence of his involvement in the College.
Nash: James Redshaw
Hill: Thyilelo Mabandla
Clayton: Ryan Osler
Thomson: Aadhavan Kallan
Alston: Vuyisile Remba
Clarke: Dani Velosa
Hodgson: Hamza Ismail
Fleming: Luke Scott
Old Johannian Memorial Prize
for service to the school.
Simon Mussett
The Peter Baker Prize
For the Dux Scholar of the Year
Rudolf van der Merwe
The Alan & Gen Wilcock Medal
Presented to a matriculant who has shown courage and resilience in the face of adversity.
Alulutho Zweni and Matthew van Kerkhoven
--
Alulutho Zweni was abandoned by his biological parents and raised by his maternal grandfather in the rural Eastern Cape. When he lost his grandfather at the age of ten, he moved to Johannesburg, leaving behind his home, his community and his mother tongue.
When he entered Grade 4, having attended an isiXhosa-medium school, he could not speak, read or write English, and he was assessed as four years behind his peers.
He refused to let those circumstances define his future, choosing instead to regard them as facts about his past. Through relentless effort and perseverance, he earned a Centenary Scholarship to St John’s College. Despite the demands of the IEB curriculum, doubts about belonging and the language barrier, he continued to progress. Today, he is in the second-highest Mathematics set and excels in Mathematics, as well as in Further Studies Mathematics and English.
Having never played rugby before arriving at the College, he went on to captain the 4th XV. He has shown that resilience is forged when life gives you every reason to stop and you choose to keep walking. In his own words: “I was given a difficult beginning. I chose not to have a difficult ending.”
It is with great admiration and respect that we present the Alan and Gen Wilcock Medal to Matthew van Kerkhoven and Alulutho Zweni, in recognition of their courage, quiet determination, perseverance, fortitude and grace under pressure, and their refusal to allow adversity or limitation to define the people they are becoming.
--
Matthew van Kerkhoven was born with a serious heart condition and underwent open-heart surgery in infancy. Throughout his life, he has had to manage the challenges of his condition through regular medical monitoring, additional procedures during his school years (both minimally invasive and open-heart), and periods when he could not participate fully. Few of his peers have had to confront such a demanding reality.
What makes him so deserving of this award, however, is not simply what he has endured, but the way he has chosen to live. He has come to understand that resilience does not always mean pushing harder than everyone else. It also means knowing when to rest, listening to one’s body, accepting one’s circumstances and continuing to move forward.
This resilience is evident in the way he has conducted himself at school. He has never sought sympathy or used his circumstances as an excuse. Instead, he has quietly continued to work, participate and contribute, maintaining an admirable academic standard while remaining committed to sport and the wider life of the College. His courage has been expressed not through grand gestures but through the steady decision to keep going.
He has chosen to be defined not by what he cannot do but, in his own words, by “what I chose to do despite it.” His challenges have undoubtedly shaped him, but they have not limited him. Rather, they have helped him develop remarkable maturity, perspective and determination.
The Aquila Alta Award
For the boy rooted in St John's from the Pre-Prep, showing consistent commitment, integrity, dedication, kindness, and upholding the values and traditions of the College.
Oliver Venter-Clelland
The Walter Andrewes Prize
Awarded annually to a student who has demonstrated outstanding excellence across the three foundational pillars of college life: Academics, Culture, and Sport.
Lesego Legoete
--
Lesego Legoete is a true St John’s College gentleman who has shown dedication, perseverance and balance throughout his journey. He embodies the values of Lux, Vita and Caritas, bringing light, life and love to all he undertakes.
Academically, he consistently maintained a high standard across all his subjects. His teachers unanimously praised his commitment and work ethic, qualities reflected in his strong results and the award of Colours for Academics.
Culturally, he made an outstanding contribution to the School of Drama through the Backstage team. As Head of Lighting, he showed an eagerness to learn new skills and continually broaden his responsibilities. The Backstage team supports every major drama event throughout the year, including Grabs, the Major Production, the Festival of Excellence in Dramatic Arts (FEDA), House Plays and practical examinations. His leadership made this support both seamless and meaningful, while his dedication and determination to elevate his team earned him well-deserved Honours for Drama.
In sport, he demonstrated exceptional leadership and versatile athleticism across multiple disciplines. As captain of the 1st Basketball team, he led with distinction and rose to the responsibility, with his performances on the court only growing stronger, ultimately earning Honours for Basketball. He also captained the 3rd XV and was one of its key players, approaching every match with an exemplary attitude that earned the genuine respect and affection of his coaches and teammates alike.
Through his quiet authority, commitment to behind-the-scenes service and excellence in sport, he is a most deserving recipient of the Walter Andrewes Award for excellence in Culture, Sport and Academics.
John Airey Memorial Prize
for extramural contribution
Michael Stubbs
--
Michael Stubbs has been an outstanding role model, both on and off the field. He has carried himself with distinction as a Coloursman, demonstrating dedication, commitment and a genuine pride in wearing the St John's College badge.
His sporting achievements are exceptional. He has earned Honours for his representation of the 1st Hockey, 1st Squash and 1st Golf teams, and earned 1st Team Cricket Team Blazer. His achievements extend beyond the sporting arena, with Academic Colours recognising his commitment and excellence in the classroom.
What distinguishes him, however, is not simply the breadth of his achievements but the manner in which he has conducted himself throughout his time at the College.
He has excelled across multiple sporting codes while remaining humble, positive and consistently supportive of those around him.
He is a wonderful young man who has embodied Lux, Vita, Caritas, and what it means to be a true sportsman - competitive yet gracious, committed yet selfless, and always willing to contribute to his team's success.
INDIVIDUAL AWARDS
Fleming Prize for Service to the School
by a matric, over and above the service expected of him in any role he may hold.
Apostoli Apostoleris, Oliver Bouilliart and Travis Stewart
Chapel Service Prize
Luke Scott
Luke Potter Award
for a student with a drive for social justice, inclusivity and community engagement
Oliver Bouilliart
The Fargher Innovative Thinking Award
The Fargher Innovative Thinking Award honours a St John's student whose curiosity is translated into original ideas, disciplined investigation and practical invention. This recipient exemplifies these qualities across an exceptional range of scientific and technological pursuits.
Rudolf van der Merwe
--
He designed and built a high-speed racing drone from scratch using 3D-printed components, then programmed its motors to play the Star Wars theme on start-up, combining engineering skill, coding and creative problem-solving in a single project.
His innovation is matched by serious scholarly endeavour: he conducted an open-ended Physics research project, represented South Africa at the International Young Physicists' Tournament, and presented his findings at an applied mathematics symposium at the University of Cape Town while still in Lower V.
Further demonstrating the national calibre of his mathematical ability, he was named on the South African Mathematics Foundation's honourable mention list, placing him just outside the top ten candidates in the country. This is a remarkable achievement and further strengthens his case as a most deserving recipient of this award.
His record also demonstrates sustained intellectual breadth. He received both the Bruce Currin Memorial Senior Scholarship and the Sir Henry Strakosch Scholarship, earned subject prizes across various disciplines and was selected for the 2026.
ISASA I MIT I St John's College Mathematics and Science Programme in quantum physics and computing.
These achievements show that he does not simply excel within established academic boundaries: he connects disciplines, pursues complex questions independently and turns knowledge into imaginative, working solutions. This is a rare combination of intellectual curiosity, rigorous research, technical ingenuity and creative application.
William Young Mathematics Prize
for significant improvement in Mathematics
Alulutho Zweni
The Marilyn Jardine Award
for best creative writing in Afrikaans
Rudolf van der Merwe
The Muhammed-Ismail Bulbulia Prize
for best Creative Writing in English
Gui-Nam Chen
Walter Webber Essay Prize
for best English Essay
Oliver Bouillart
The Wynand Pretorius Prize
for best History Essay
Zach Sundayi
isiZulu Prize
for outstanding growth and commitment in isiZulu since Remove
Lehakoe Matlala
Multilingual Prize
for excellence in three or more languages:
Oliver Bouillart
THE OLD JOHANNIAN ASSOCIATION AWARDS
The Old Johannian Association award is presented on behalf of the Association to a matric for excellence in the senior years at a national level
For excellence in:
Cricket: Nkosana Sibiya
Squash: Thero Motshubi
SCHOOL PRIZES
MUSIC
Dr Ben Oosthuizen Prize for best senior instrumentalist Eric Han
Walter Macfarlane Senior Chorister Award Dirk Jacobs
Most Improved Musician Vuyisile Remba
Garvey Cup for Musical Endeavour Matthew Johnston
VISUAL ARTS
RP Reynolds Trophy for excellence in art practical and theory Luke Summerton
Diedie Marais Trophy for excellence in art practical Luke Summerton
Lesley van Bavel McKenzie Visual Culture Studies Award for excellence in history of art Ryan Osler
ORATORY
Public Speaking Trophy Thyilelo Mabandla
Andrew O’Dowd Memorial Medal Aniel Nuttall-Mbembe
DRAMATIC ARTS
Andrewes Prize for Drama for the most sustained and outstanding commitment to Drama since Remove Lehakoe Matlala
Mike Stalley Trophy for the best actor in any production Tyler Khumalo
Dramatic Arts Trophy for the most versatile actor in Upper V Thyilelo Mabandla
McLaughlin Trophy for the most improved Dramatic Arts student Sam Slettevold
Matthew Pulford Trophy for excellence and sustained commitment to backstage Connor Cooper and Lesego Legoete
Untiedt Prize for Drama for the most inspirational performance in their Matric Practical Examination Lwandle Phakathi