Dash Gilbert on pursuing excellence beyond matric
In 2016, South Africa’s education debate was driven by one urgent question: who gets access?
A decade later, the learners who entered the system during that era are asking a more complex one: what happened after matric?
For many young South Africans, acceptance into a good school or university was only the first step. What followed was the real challenge: navigating uncertainty, building momentum and turning opportunity into long-term success.
That is the focus of the Ruta Sechaba Foundation’s 10-year milestone campaign, which gives voice to a generation finding its way through life after school, tertiary study and into the world of work.
One of those voices is Dash Gilbert.
Gilbert, from Cape Town, is part of a new generation of South Africans competing on a global stage. A Ruta Sechaba Foundation alumnus, he was Head Boy of Curro Durbanville in 2022, where he achieved an 89.42% matric average with seven distinctions.
He first drew national attention as a young scientist with an award-winning Formula One aerodynamics project.
In 2022, he placed third in the Physics and Astronomy category at the prestigious Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair in Atlanta, competing against learners from more than 60 countries and receiving a US$1,000 prize.
He later secured acceptance to study MEng Aeronautics and Astronautics: Aerodynamics at the University of Southampton in the United Kingdom – a globally recognised pathway into Formula One engineering careers. Despite these accolades, he says the day he received his matric results was less about celebration and more about what lay ahead.
“I felt satisfied and fulfilled, but I immediately started thinking about the opportunities those results would open up to me in the future.”
Being recognised as a top achiever did not dramatically change how he viewed himself.
“Nothing changed that I noticed, to be honest, because I’ve always had internal expectations for myself independent of what others think.”
He says his definition of success is constantly evolving.
“I don’t think I’ll ever reach my perception of the maximum level of achievement, because I’ll always keep moving it further forward when I get close.”
What surprised him most about life after matric was the freedom that came with adulthood.
“I have a lot more freedom to choose where to allocate my time and I find myself focusing on things I enjoy a lot more. I have more work-life balance.”
Yet freedom also came with uncertainty.
He says one of the hardest parts of the first 100 days after school was not knowing exactly where life would take him next.
“The uncertainty of where I would be in the next months after school was difficult. But I had an ideal plan in my head and every day I tried to get closer to it.”
Gilbert believes many people misunderstand top achievers.
“People assume they don’t feel pressure. But I always like to have pressure on myself, so I aim for goals I know are extremely difficult to achieve, just to see how close I can get.”
He says setbacks never meant stopping.
“If I don’t achieve them, I just keep trying again.”
One of his most demanding seasons came while applying to study abroad, where multiple obstacles stood in the way of his plans.
“I had the support of my family and friends, but in the end, it required enormous effort from myself. If I really wanted it to happen, no one was going to hand it out to me. I had to truly work for it.”
Gilbert says one of the least discussed challenges facing young South Africans after matric is gaining meaningful work experience.
“It’s incredibly difficult to get that first industry experience without the aid of connections.”
His advice is practical, “Use the connections you have in any industry to get your footing. Universities also have extracurricular programmes that help develop your skills and knowledge for interviews.”
He credits the Ruta Sechaba Foundation with helping shape the person he is today.
The Foundation supported his attendance at Curro Durbanville, where he benefited not only academically, but through extracurricular opportunities that developed his confidence and broader skills.
“RSF opened opportunities for me in school that shaped the career and person I have today. I wouldn’t be where I am without them.”
Asked what it really takes to succeed after matric, Gilbert’s answer is clear: passion first, then relentless effort.
“Pursue your passion in life or find one to pursue. I only feel successful and happy if I enjoy what I do. But once you are in that pursuit, you must put all your effort into making something out of it.”
“Personally, for whatever I enjoy doing, I want to be the best in the world at that specific thing. That’s my driving force.”
His journey from Cape Town to global ambition is a reminder that excellence is not a destination reached once, but a mindset built daily. With vision, discipline and the right support, world-class futures can begin anywhere.
As the Ruta Sechaba Foundation marks its 10-year anniversary this year, donors, partners and prospective applicants are invited to learn more about its work and opportunities by visiting rutasechaba.org.
