By Palesa Matlala
- Dentis Siswana, 29, graduated cum laude after a private company funded his studies, but spent years walking from one failed job interview to the next before his death in January 2026.
- South African men account for nearly 80% of suicides in the country, with unemployment and mental health struggles pushing many young graduates into despair.
Dentis Siswana did everything right. He finished school and university in record time. He graduated cum laude. His family believed his future was set.
It was not.
The 29-year-old from Soweto spent five years after graduation walking from one job interview to the next. Every time, the answer was no. A private company had funded his studies after matric. He had the qualifications. He had the drive. None of it was enough.
“He would say, ‘I completed my schooling and tertiary in record time. So this means that I will find a job after graduation,'” his sister Nonceba Siswana told Scrolla.
The rejections broke him slowly. He started job hunting at 24. When nothing came, he took a job at a call centre to survive.
“That fast-tracked his mental illness,” Nonceba said.
He tried to build something of his own, selling bulk cleaning products to schools in Soweto. But the pain followed him there too.
“A whole graduate could not secure a job he was qualified for,” said Nonceba.
Dentis went for therapy and took medication while battling depression. On 23 January 2026, his family found him in their storeroom. He was gone.
His death is part of a pattern that is getting worse. South African men account for nearly 80% of suicides in the country and are four to five times more likely to die by suicide than women. The national suicide rate sits at an estimated 23.5 deaths per 100,000 people.
Dentis Siswana was 29. He graduated cum laude. He wanted to work.
Pictured above: Dentis Siswana, 29, died by suicide in January 2026 after years of unemployment and depression.
Image source: File
If you or someone you know is struggling, please contact the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG) on 0800 456 789. The line is free and operates 24 hours a day.
