24/05/2026
Today we celebrate the visionary of Kings Harvest Academy. As one who grew up in the rural disadvantaged community of Hlutankungu Kwa-Zulu Natal, she saw the plight of rural education and she knew that she wanted to be apart of the story of transformation.
Her great grandfather Mr CD Stuart (a European settler of Scottish decent) married Mandisa Mkhize, the daughter of a chief. This forbidden cross cultural love story was woven into a new line that would tell the story of resilience. Mr CD Stuart realized that his family had grown and his children and grandchildren needed to be educated so he built Hlutankungu Primary School which was known as the 'colored school' where many generations, would be educated, right up until today.
Beryl Murray, given an opportunity to study, sat in a lecture room in Cape Town and heard the lecturer say "my focus is on those who don't come from the rural areas because the ones that come from the rural areas will probably have to repeat anyway" this statement didn't just sadden her but it challenged her. To think that before any rural child is given a chance, they have already been shortlisted. So, she was determined to make it work and ensure that rural children will not have to work twice as hard to be seen. The dream to carry the legacy that her great grandfather had started, was planted......
After many years of praying and planning and trusting in God for the vision, Harvest Academy opened its doors in 2018. The vision was to give the "Rural child" equal opportunity as any urban child. The story of the rural child would get an opportunity to change, Harvest Academy would be the refiner. They would take the raw material and turn it into something valuable. Ones that would go into the world and make a change. Two years later, Kings Harvest Academy Mt Frere was born in the Elubacweni community, bringing hope to the rural parts of the Eastern Cape.
So today we celebrate our Founder Mrs Beryl Murray and we wish her a Happy Birthday.
A quote by Mrs Murry - If it enters your mind, it can become a reality in your world-
