Foundation announces international maths competition results

The South African Mathematics Foundation (SAMF) is pleased to announce the results of the teams representing South Africa in two international mathematics competitions last month. 

The International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) took place from 6-16 July in Oslo, Norway, while the Pan African Mathematics Olympiad (PAMO) took place from 19-28 June in Benguerir, Morocco. Teams travelled to the locations for the first time since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.  

The South African team participating in the IMO was ranked 63^rd out of 104 participating countries. “Although we did not bring home any medals this year, the team’s overall performance is satisfactory,” explains IMO team leader Dr Liam Baker, a lecturer at Stellenbosch University and IMO and PAMO alumnus. The People’s Republic of China ranked 1^st, followed by the Republic of Korea and the United States of America in 2^nd and 3^rd place, respectively. 

•          Minkyum Kim                Grade 11, Reddam House Durbanville – Honourable Mention
•          Youkyum Kim                Grade 9, Reddam House Durbanville – Honourable Mention
•          Benjamin Kleyn             Grade 12, Hoërskool Parel Vallei – Honourable Mention
•          Emmanuel Rassou         Grade 12, South African College High School – Honourable Mention
•          Juliette Roux                 Grade 12, Herschel Girls’ High School – Honourable Mention
•          Alex Sinclair-Smith        Grade 12, Westerford High School – Honourable Mention

The team who participated in the PAMO brought home three Silver and two Bronze MedalsMorocco and Tunisia were in the joint first place. South Africa ranked 3^rd out of nine participating countries. The other African countries were Botswana, Cote d’Ivoire, Kenya, Mauritania, Nigeria, and Rwanda. 

•          Youkyum Kim                 Grade 9, Reddam House Durbanville – Silver Medal, 6^th place
•          Jared Slater                   Grade 11, Hoërskool Parel Vallei – Silver Medal, 10^th place
•          Daniella Kaye                 Grade 11, Herschel Girls’ High School – Silver Medal, 11^th place
•          Shelby le Roux                Grade 12, Rustenburg Girls’ High School, Bronze Medal
•          Jason de Villiers              Grade 12, Rondebosch Boys’ High School, Bronze Medal
•          Jana Rossouw                 Grade 10, Hoërskool Jim Fouche- Honourable Mention

The SAMO, including South Africa’s participation in the IMO and PAMO, is sponsored by Old Mutual and the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) and organised by the SAMF.

“We are proud of all the learners who participated in this year’s IMO and PAMO,” says Celiwe Ross, Human Capital Director at Old Mutual. “At Old Mutual, we believe that education is the foundation for success in life, and we believe that this year’s participants found value in this international learning opportunity.”

Prof Kerstin Jordaan, the executive director at the SAMF and full-time mathematics researcher at the University of South Africa (UNISA), says that she is satisfied with this year’s results. “As an organisation, we aim to create opportunities for South Africans to interact and compete globally. Exposure to international participation further develops problem-solving abilities because the learners get exposed to alternative solutions while socialising with young mathematicians from other countries. To everyone who participated this year, I want to say that we appreciate the hard work you put in to prepare for these contests and thank you for flying our country’s flag high.”