Some journeys do not begin in lecture halls or laboratories. They begin in parking lots, under the open sky, with hope as the only possession.
In 2018, Fabrice Kapya arrived in South Africa from the Democratic Republic of Congo with one goal: to continue his education. He had no job, no savings, and no certainty about what tomorrow would bring. What he did have was an unshakeable belief that education could change his life.
Today, he is Dr. Fabrice Kapya — a PhD graduate in Industrial Engineering and a Lecturer at the University of Pretoria.
This is the story of how determination, faith, and community turned struggle into triumph.
A dream shaped by loss
Before his journey to South Africa, Fabrice had already shown remarkable academic promise. He completed a degree in Chemical Engineering at the University of Likasi in the DRC. But tragedy struck when his father passed away.
With the family’s financial support gone, his studies were suddenly in jeopardy. It was only through the generosity of friends — who volunteered to pay his fees — that he was able to graduate.
That experience planted a seed that would later define his life: sometimes survival is not about what you have, but about who stands with you.
Starting again from nothing
When Fabrice arrived in South Africa in 2018, he was forced to start over.
With no employment and no resources, he found work as a car guard at Wonderpark Mall in Pretoria, earning about R2 000 a month. The work was repetitive, physically demanding, and far removed from the engineering future he once imagined.
Yet, in the quiet moments between parked cars, something remarkable happened.
He read.
He studied.
He dreamed.
“Whenever I had a free moment, I read books and imagined a life beyond the parking lot,” he recalls.
His colleagues noticed. They often joked, but with sincerity:
“Fabrice, you don’t belong here. You should go back to school.”
What began as playful encouragement soon became a calling he could no longer ignore.
The door that changed everything
In August 2018, a friend applied to the University of Pretoria on Fabrice’s behalf. Three months later, he received life-changing news: he had been accepted to study Industrial and Systems Engineering.
When he began his studies in March 2019, he was still working as a car guard.
The challenges were immense:
- A new academic field he had never studied before
- A language barrier
- No financial support
- Long hours of work followed by nights of study
But then something extraordinary happened.
His classmates stepped in.
They shared food. They paid for transport. They helped with rent. They gave him their notes.
“My classmates didn’t just help me academically — they carried me when I had nothing left,” he says.
Kindness that changed a destiny
Just over a year into his studies, another moment of grace reshaped his path.
A frequent visitor to Wonderpark Mall, deeply moved by Fabrice’s story, offered to pay his university fees — R18 000.
That single act of kindness allowed him to clear debts and pursue his Master’s degree in 2021.
For Fabrice, it became proof that sometimes strangers become destiny-shapers.
Rising from survival to leadership
In February 2021, the University of Pretoria offered Fabrice a position as an Assistant Lecturer in Industrial and Systems Engineering.
He was now:
- Teaching
- Studying
- And building a future simultaneously
By January 2022, he had completed his Master’s degree.
In 2024, he reached a milestone that once felt impossible.
He graduated with a PhD in Industrial Engineering.
Today, he stands not in a parking lot — but in a lecture hall, shaping the minds of future engineers as a Lecturer at the University of Pretoria.
The unseen battles
Behind the success story is a journey marked by deep personal struggle.
There were days when he skipped meals to save money. Nights when exhaustion nearly won. Moments of doubt and isolation. Battles with depression. And later, a chronic medical condition that forced him to pause his research.
Yet he refused to let hardship define him.
“God never gave me anything I couldn’t overcome. The pain I endured wasn’t just suffering — it was a crucible that made me stronger.”
He learned that resilience is not loud. Sometimes, it is simply choosing to stand again the next morning.
From parking lot observations to doctoral research
Ironically, his years as a car guard shaped his academic destiny.
Watching delivery trucks at Wonderpark Mall sparked questions about:
- Supply chains
- Production systems
- Machine breakdowns
- Demand fluctuations
These everyday observations became the foundation of his Master’s and PhD research in multi-state production systems and mathematical modelling.
Today, his work contributes to:
- Manufacturing optimisation
- Inventory control
- Supply chain efficiency
- Decision-making models in engineering systems
What once began as curiosity in a parking lot became doctoral-level innovation.
A life built on gratitude
Dr. Kapya never tells his story without acknowledging those who made it possible.
“I owe South Africa so much. I can never thank its people enough for believing in me when I struggled to believe in myself.”
He credits:
- His supervisors Prof. Femi and Prof. Yadavalli
- His colleagues and classmates
- The University of Pretoria
- The Pretoria community
- Friends who became family
- And strangers who chose kindness
To him, success has never been an individual achievement — it has always been a collective miracle.
From survival to purpose
Today, Dr. Fabrice Kapya is not only an academic — he is a mentor, leader, and advocate for students who start with less.
He is part of initiatives that support financially struggling students and remains committed to giving back to the very system that lifted him.
“This journey from the parking lot to the UP Engineering Building was not just about earning degrees. It was about proving that anything is possible if we persevere.”
A message to anyone starting from nothing
For those who feel trapped by circumstance, Dr Kapya leaves this message:
“It doesn’t matter where you start. What matters is your determination to keep moving forward. Work harder on yourself. Set your goals so high that even failure falls short of them. Education changed my life — and it can change yours too.”
The power of becoming
From a car guard earning R2 000 a month … To a PhD holder and university lecturer …
From survival … To significance …
From doubt … To destiny …
Dr. Fabrice Kapya’s story reminds us that sometimes all it takes is one opportunity — and the courage to rise when it comes.
And when that courage meets community, miracles happen.
Written by : Valentine Zoza
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