In 2024, Ralph Brandt graduated from Unisa with a Bachelor of Accounting Sciences (BCompt) degree while still incarcerated at the Brandvlei Correctional Centre. At the time, he spoke about the challenges of studying with limited access to computers and internet facilities, and how education became a source of discipline, motivation and hope.

Ralph Brandt graduating in 2024

Brandt, who hails from the Cape Flats in Cape Town, spent nearly nine-and-a-half years incarcerated. It was within the confines of prison that he began rewriting his story. "I always wanted to pursue higher education," he recalls. "Prison gave me the time to focus, to think, and to finally start the journey."

After nearly a decade in prison, Brandt was released on parole. Yet even freedom did not interrupt his academic momentum. Just two months after his release, he registered for the Postgraduate Diploma in Applied Accounting Sciences, one of the most challenging programmes in the accounting profession. At the same time, he began his articles as a chartered accountant (CA), having been formally accepted by SAICA as a CA trainee.

Balancing reintegration into society, full-time professional training and postgraduate studies is a challenge few could manage, but Brandt persevered. In November 2025, he reached another remarkable milestone - he passed his PDDA/CTA on the first attempt. "I received my results yesterday, and I passed on the first attempt," he says with pride.

From prison student to postgraduate achiever and CA trainee, Ralph Brandt’s path reflects courage, discipline and belief that growth is possible, even in the most difficult times.

Today, Brandt’s journey has grown into an extraordinary story of resilience, achievements and new beginnings, one that continues to inspire the Unisa community and South Africans at large.  

* By Thandeka Mtyali, Intern: Communication and Marketing, Western Cape Region