South African Mathematics Challenge

Welcome to the South African Mathematics Challenge (SAMC) – an extraordinary opportunity to push the boundaries of mathematical thinking. Designed to challenge learners in Grades 4 to 7, SAMC takes a unique approach beyond the conventional curriculum.

Unleash the Potential: SAMC is not your typical maths competition. It's designed to push the limits of Grade 4 to 7 learners, encouraging them to explore beyond the confines of the standard curriculum.
Triumph through Three Rounds:: Embark on a thrilling journey across three rounds, each more challenging than the last. SAMC is not just a competition; it's an adventure in mathematical exploration.

Strengthgening Problem-Solving Skills: Engage learners in a thrilling challenge that goes beyond conventional problem-solving. SAMC's unique approach in Round 1 encourages students to challenge themselves, making problem-solving both enjoyable and team-oriented.
Building Confidence for Future Competitions: Participating in SAMC allows learners to gain confidence in their problem-solving abilities. This newfound confidence becomes a catalyst, inspiring them to actively pursue and excel in future mathematics competitions.
Developing Essential Soft Skills: SAMC not only focuses on mathematical prowess but also nurtures essential soft skills. Learners acquire valuable skills such as time management, effective preparation strategies, and a positive mental attitude towards competitions.

Learners write the First Round at each participating school normally during a week in March. There are two categories of participation: Confident learners may prefer to participate as individuals (singles), whilst others may choose to work in pairs (doubles). The papers are distributed only via e-mail to schools. Schools must make copies of the documents for their learners. There are separate papers for each grade and the duration of the papers is one hour.
Learners who achieved at least 50% (10 or more out of 20) in the First Round write the Second Round. Learners only participate as singles. There are again separate multiple-choice papers for each grade and the duration is one hour.
The best-performing learners from the Second Round write the Third (and Final) Round at centralised venues. There are two papers: Grades 4-5 learners write the Junior paper and Grades 6-7 learners write the Senior paper. Learners have 90 minutes to solve 15 challenging mathematical problems.

Should you have any questions or require assistance, feel free to contact any of the following SAMC project team members

Patrick Rasehwete [email protected]

You can also WhatsApp us at 074 515 7463

Second Round: 22 May
Third Round: 12 September