It may be over three weeks since media personality and actress Nomzamo Mbatha graduated from the University of Cape Town, but she's not about to slow down on the celebrations.
To officially celebrate her milestone, the 27-year-old said plans to invite 20 young graduates from around the country who'll celebrate with her.
Speaking to HuffPost during her intimate graduation dinner held at Gemelli Restaurant's Pantry Kitchen, Nomzamo said she had to put her plans for the party on hold following the death of struggle icon Winnie Madikizela-Mandela.
"There's no way one could have a party around that time. So God willing, I'll soon be flying the graduates to Joburg to join me at the graduation dinner so we can celebrate together," she said.
She said to score an invite, graduates will have to tell her how they helped someone summit their mountain.
Details would be revealed soon.
Her intimate dinner was attended by her friends and family.
She said receiving her BCom Accounting degree felt like summiting a mountain.
"I had to write a supplementary exam in January so towards the end of last year when everyone was enjoying their December holidays I was tense and waiting anxiously for it. Unlike many students, I didn't have the comfort of knowing that I'd completed my studies and would be graduating this year and that made me nervous.
"When the results eventually came out I was shaking and had to look three times whether the student number and the mark next to it were really mine. I was relieved and for me, it felt like summiting a mountain.
"I felt like I had conquered a mountain that had stood before me for the longest time. I keep calling it summiting because that is what it felt like," she said.
Nomzamo said giving back comes as a second nature to her -- which is why when it was graduation time, she did not go at it alone.
Ahead of the ceremony, she called upon fellow UCT graduated to join her #GraduationGlamRoom and get their make up done courtesy of her and Ground Zero Productions. She had a makeup team on standby for students who would be graduating on April 3, the same day as her.
"For me, that came from a place of knowing. Knowing what it feels like to be a poor student in need. I know what it's like to be a student with no financial backing. I know what many of my [former] fellow students went through because as a student myself I've had to stand up and fend for myself and be self-sufficient.
"Right now because of the work that I do, I know what goes into glam. I know that as a girl, I like a good face beat, nice hair and all things beautiful. I realise that I only know those things because of the work that I do and I always think of how expensive that would be for someone who comes from a place of lack then I decided to ease that pressure off them and step in.
"My family and those close to me know that it's never about me but always about other people and how I can help make their situations better. That's who I am and this fits into that," Nomzamo said.
That Winnie Mandela tribute:
On the day of her graduation, Nomzamo revealed her dress which had pictures of people she'd lost in her life.
She said after hearing the news of Madikizela-Mandela's passing, she wanted to make last minute changes to her dress.
"The top part of my dress was plain white and I wanted to go buy a marker or even paint to feature her on there. But there was no time. So, when we sat in the graduation hall and there had not been a moment of silence in her honour, I started thinking about the work she'd done fighting for a black child like me to have the privilege to walk that stage, I knew I had to remind everyone that we were a nation in mourning and I believe I did it in a way she would have also done it," Nomzamo said.