Feet4Fees students arrived at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University on Monday, concluding their 1,000 km journey from Johannesburg.
The 15 Wits- and Univeristy of Johannesburg students started their walk on 1 December 2016, to help raise funds for students who cannot afford higher education.
They raised a total of R7million, with R6.5million being a five year bursary pledge from Avongoa Solar, and a substantial amount of money from Hollard, Wits and private donors.
Team leader, Rueben Oosthuysen, gave an emotional thank you to his team and everyone who donated towards the cause.
"I suppose at the end of the day the name of the game is 'perseverance', I don't think I've ever been as grateful to finish anything as I have been to finish today, and I think for the rest of my life I will probably spend mulling over the experiences of the last 20 days," he said.
"To my team mates, I don't think they'll ever be a library of poetics that can explain how humble and honoured I am to lead you guys across this country. I just want to say thank you for believing in me and actually following me. To everyone that came out, the individuals across the country, across the world even, that donated, thank you for investing in the project and thank you for investing in the future and the youth of South Africa," he added.
Oosthuysen went on to say that not only did they finish, but they succeeded.
Murray Hofmeyr, National Dirctor of the Study Trust, who sponsored the Feet4Fees, said quite a large amount of the donations that came in would be given to students from the Northern Cape, "for the next five years we will give more bursaries to more deserving young people, especially from areas that are not well served."
He said the bursaries always came with support, "We understand that is quite a step-up that is required for a young person to come from being a star student in his school and go to university and all the identity issues they face once they encounter failure for the first time."
Hofmeyr said even the huge amount that had been raised won't go to a lot of students, especially when spread for a number of years.
He noted that those who did get the bursaries would be the deserving ones.
Denver Webb, acting CEO of the NMMU trust, says they are proud to be associate with the initiative and what it stands for.
"We are going to continue discussing this with them next year, and if they want to do another walk next year and grow this and we will discuss it with our student leadership to see if there is a way that we can add value."
