SHANGAAN disco star Eric "Penny Penny" Nkovani has launched a career guidance campaign to help Grade 12 pupils in Limpopo.

At the weekend, the flamboyant Nkovani held a career exhibition at Matsambu High School at Nkurhi outside Giyani, where he invited experts from various fields to talk to the pupils.

The targeted fields included aviation, chemical engineering, town planning, mining engineering, food technology, geology and biotechnology.

"I invited experts from South African Agency for Science and Technology Advancement (Saasta) to guide our pupils about the fields with most needed skills. My worry is that most of our pupils, especially from rural areas, are not exposed to career guidance."

Nkovani said his initiative was aimed at reducing the skills shortage in the country.

He said he would be travelling abroad to raise money for poor pupils who cannot afford tertiary education.

Nkovani, who is now a councillor at July Mawere ward in the Greater Giyani Municipality, never went to school because of his poor background.

He was at one stage a homeless cleaner at Shandel recording company in Johannesburg.

He hit the limelight in the 1990s after releasing his hit single Shaka Bundu.

Saasta science education manager Dr Jabulani Nukeri commended Nkovani for trying to assist rural pupils.

"As Saasta our mandate is to go around the country to educate our pupils about the importance of choosing good careers," said Nukeri.

One of the pupils who attended the exhibition, Rifumo Mavasa, said she was very grateful to Saasta and the musician for exposing them to the various career fields.