‘I have been praying for something like this to happen to me,’ said Mbothwe. ‘Being awarded this scholarship really feels like a dream come true. It shows me that if you work hard and commit in whatever you are doing, God will bless you richly,’
He applauded scholarships saying they motivated students to work hard.
His passion for playing the piano began when he was in Grade 11. ‘I was watching videos and I came across one of a two-year-old boy from China playing Flight of the Bumblebee. I was amazed and inspired by him and vowed I was going to play this piece one day …and I did.’
Mbothwe plans to use the scholarship for his fees and to buy his own piano. ‘My dream is to be a concert pianist, perform all over the world and enter the Poland piano competitions.’
He has this advice for other musicians: ‘When you feel like everything is so hard and you feel like giving up, don’t! Because in that moment your life is progressing. You have to go through storms in order to reach your goals.’