HELP is on the way for orphaned twins who face a bleak future because they do not have money to pay their university fees.

Sowetan yesterday reported about how Thobile and Thabile Zuma of Boston, a small farming community in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, beat all odds to achieve distinctions in all nine subjects they each wrote last year.

Thobile and Thabile registered at the University of KwaZulu-Natal on Monday to study law and social sciences, respectively.

The university approved their application but the twins had no money to pay the fees.

Their excitement was short-lived when their 24-year-old brother, Njabulo, could only afford their registration fees.

The law course costs about R24,000 to R26,000 a year. Social sciences is about R22,000 to R30,000 a year.

The pair were raised on a foster-care grant given to their grandfather after their father died in 1999 and their mother in 2004.

Civil engineer Precious Mali of Soweto has donated about R5,000 to the family.

He said he was touched by the twins' story.

"It touched me that there are children who want to study but do not have money," Mali said.

The twins' brother, Njabulo, was ecstatic.

"The money will make a difference. It will go a long way in assisting us," he said.

"Mr Mali called in the morning and in less than 20 minutes, the money reflected in my bank account."

Njabulo was forced to drop out of school after their parents died. He opened a tavern to support his siblings.

Other readers said they would contact the family on ways to help them.