South Africans are paying tributes to their “favourite teacher”, William Smith, who has died aged 85.

The beloved maths and science teacher and innovator died on Wednesday morning after a short battle with cancer, his family said.

The renowned teacher hosted a learning programme on state broadcaster SABC for years, which is said to have touched the hearts of many South Africans.

He received many accolades in his life for innovation in learning, including a national award in 2019 given by President Cyril Ramaphosa for his contribution to “teaching and demystifying mathematics and science”.

President Ramaphosa describing the “favourite teacher” as “an education and cultural icon to our nation”.

“William Smith’s passion for his curriculum and for the success of those he taught in classrooms, at matric camps and on TV benefited millions of youth South Africans even before our transition to democracy and the dawn of a new dispensation of equal education,” he said.

He is hailed for making maths and science education available for free to millions of children through the groundbreaking 1990s TV programme, Learning Channel, which he convinced SABC to air.

The presidency describes the programme as “essentially an open South African school teaching physical science, mathematics, biology and English”.

It gave disadvantaged pupils access to free extra classes, which is said to be the only high-quality instruction some received at the time.

Some people have taken to social media to laud Mr Smith as the reason they were successful in the subjects.

“William Smith got me through high school maths and science. What a legend and national treasure,” said Wendy Verwey Bekker on X.

During his life he also earned the “Teacher of the Year” award as well as being voted one of the top three presenters on South African television in 1998 for his teaching programme. In 2004 he was voted 86th in the Top 100 Great South Africans.

After retiring, he moved with his family to Australia where he died.

He was surrounded by his family during his final moments, his daughter Jessica Smith told South African news outlet News24.

She said the family was mourning him but also celebrating his legacy, adding that it was inspiring to see how other people were celebrating him.

He is survived by his wife, Jenny, his three daughters and five grandchildren.