Who's SA's top young mathematicians?

The South African Mathematics Foundation (SAMF) acknowledged gifted young mathematicians at its annual awards ceremony. The Foundation handed medals and certificates to top achievers of its various primary, secondary, and tertiary mathematics competitions at the Lagoon Beach Hotel in Cape Town earlier today.

The hybrid awards function's highlight was the announcement of this year's Overall Winner in the Old Mutual South African Mathematics Olympiad (SAMO) for high school learners, co-sponsored by the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA). Ntswaki Raboroko, the head of talent acquisition and assessments at Old Mutual, handed the gold Dirk van Rooy medal to Emmanuel Rassou, a Grade 12 learner at the South African College Schools in the Western Cape. The top-performing school award went to Midstream College in Gauteng.

From left to right: Olivia Castleden, Caleb Johnson, Emmanuel Rassou, Lisa Browne, and Ivy Williams.

“Old Mutual has been a sponsor of the South African Maths Olympiad for decades and we are proud to be part of growing such critical skills for Africa,” Raboroko told the audience during an interview. “Our involvement and support of this important annual competition are aligned with our role as a responsible business and our purpose to champion mutually positive futures every day. As a leading pan-African financial services company, we are committed to contributing to the continent’s socio-economic development and inclusive prosperity.”

The other prestigious award is for participation in the NESTLÉ NESPRAY South African Mathematics Challenge (SAMC) for primary school learners. Lauren van Wyk, Nestlé South Africa’s category marketing manager, handed a gold medal to Lisa Browne, a Grade 7 learner at Sweet Valley Primary School and Olivia Castleden, a Grade 6 learner at Somerset House Preparatory School, both in the Western Cape. The top-performing school award went to Sweet Valley Primary School in the Western Cape for the eighth consecutive year.

"We send out our congratulations to all the 2022 NESTLÉ NESPRAY South African Mathematics Challenge winners. We are so proud of all the learners and schools that took part in the Challenge and managed to perform well,” Van Wyk said during an interview. “We see your hard work and we appreciate your efforts.”

Prof Kerstin Jordaan, the executive director at SAMF and a full-time mathematics researcher at the University of South Africa (UNISA), paid tribute to three volunteers by awarding them with Long Service Awards. Prof Betsie Jonck, a full-time lecturer at the School of Mathematics at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in Johannesburg, received her 20-year service award, while Prof Willem Conradie, a full-time lecturer at the School of Mathematics (also at Wits) and Dr Duncan Samson, the Director of Mathematics at St Andrew’s College in Grahamstown, received recognition for ten years of service to the Foundation.

Victor Kgomoeswana, the executive director of marketing and communication at the University of Limpopo, and the master of ceremonies announced the winners of the various categories in the Standard Bank South African Tertiary Mathematics Olympiad (SATMO). The best student in the undergraduate category is Benjamin Kleyn, a Grade 12 learner at Hoërskool Parel Vallei in the Western Cape. Callan Kotzen, who is studying to obtain his honours degree in actuarial science at the University of the Witwatersrand, is the best student in the honours category. Based on the contestant's results, the top-ranking 2022 university is Stellenbosch University.

“Standard Bank is honoured to support the Tertiary Mathematics Olympiad to promote the importance of mathematics in driving sustainable job opportunities for young Africans,” says Myen Moodley, Head, People & Culture, Standard Bank South Africa. “We congratulate the winners of this year’s contest and wish them well in their future careers. You are our next Gen problem solvers that will elevate Africa on a global scale.”

Here is a list of other award recipients:

NESTLÉ NESPRAY South African Mathematics Challenge top-performing quintile schools. (Quintile is a category used by the government to allocate money to public schools based on how poor school communities are. Quintile 1 to 3 schools is usually no-fee schools.)
Quintile 1 - Mbekweni Primary School - Western Cape
Quintile 2 - Nyanda Primary School - KwaZulu-Natal
Quintile 3 - Imbaliyethu Primary School - KwaZulu-Natal
Quintile 4 - Laerskool Parow Vallei - Western Cape
Quintile 5 - Sweet Valley Primary School - Western Cape

The runners-up of the Junior division of the NESTLÉ NESPRAY South African Mathematics Challenge - that is, Grades 4 and 5 – in alphabetical order are:
• Anna Badenhorst, Grade 5, Outeniqua Primary School in the Western Cape
• Edric Gosnell, Grade 5, Crawford La Lucia in Kwa-Zulu Natal
• Imra Adam, Grade 5, Edgemead Primary School in the Western Cape
• Joshua Fried, Grade 5, Bishops Preparatory School in the Western Cape
• Levi Isaacson, Grade 5, Redhill College in Gauteng
• Michael Tian, Grade 5, Redhill College in Gauteng
• Nicolene du Preez, Grade 4, Laerskool Mooirivier in the North-West
• Oliver Schultz, Grade 5, Fish Hoek Primary in the Western Cape
• Qihang Zhang, Grade 5, Redhill College in Gauteng

The gold medalists in the junior division of the NESTLÉ NESPRAY South African Mathematics Challenge are:
• Cameron Broster, Grade 5, The Grove Primary School in the Western Cape
• Ivy Williams, Grade 4, Sweet Valley Primary School in the Western Cape

The runners-up of the senior division of the Challenge - that is, Grades 6 and 7 – in alphabetical order are:
* Colin Lui, Grade 6, Redhill College in Gauteng
* Daruuk Kumarasamy, Grade 6, Glenwood Preparatory School in Kwa-Zulu Natal
* Jessica Hilburn, Grade 6, Redhill College in Gauteng
* Kimaya Shah-Naidoo, Grade 7, St Mary’s School Waverley in Gauteng
* Kyle Bouwer, Grade 6, Laerskool Totius in the Western Cape
* Mathew Valavi, Grade 7, Cradock Primary School in the Eastern Cape
* Minjing Chen, Grade 7, Redhill College in Gauteng
* Victor Grabe, Grade 7, Kenridge Primary School in the Western Cape
* Xiaoyuan Li, Grade 7, Craighall Primary School in Gauteng

The top-performing high schools per quintile in the Old Mutual South African Mathematics Olympiad are:
* Quintile 1 - Highveld Secondary School - Mpumalanga
* Quintile 2 - Jane Furse Comprehensive School - Limpopo
* Quintile 3 - Cedar Secondary School - Free State
* Quintile 4 - Potchefstroom Gimnasium – North-West
* Quintile 5 - Westerford High School - Western Cape

The top-performing individuals per quintile for the junior division (Grades 8 & 9) in the Olympiad are:
Quintile 1 - Akhile Khumalo, Grade 9, Mandla Mthethwa High School - KwaZulu-Natal
Quintile 2 - Tholakele Kunene, Grade 9, Mbizeni Combined School - KwaZulu-Natal
Quintile 3 - Jaeden Botha, Grade 9, Hoërskool Salomon Senekal - Free State and KL Selatola, Grade 9, Iketsetseng Comprehensive Secondary School - Free State
Quintile 4 - Maretha Gonin, Grade 9, Hoërskool Eldoraigne - Gauteng
There are five recipients in Quintile 5. They are:
Jan Karsten, Grade 8, Hoërskool Jan van Riebeeck - Western Cape
Noah Rassou, Grade 8, South African College High School - Western Cape
Thomas Gordon, Grade 9, Rondebosch Boys’ High School - Western Cape
Sebastian Steer, Grade 9, Rondebosch Boys’ High School - Western Cape
Chaeyoon Lee, Grade 9, Hoërskool Parel Vallei - Western Cape
.
The top-performing individuals per quintile for the senior division (Grades 10 to 12) in the Olympiad are:
Quintile 1 - Bhekisizwe Thomo, Grade 12, Highveld Secondary School - Mpumalanga
Quintile 2 - N Skosana, Grade 11, King Makhosonke 11 Secondary School - Mpumalanga
Quintile 3 - Karabo Mokoena, Grade 12, Katleho-Mpumelelo Secondary School - Gauteng
Quintile 4 - Muhammed S Khan, Grade 11, UJ Metropolitan Academy - Gauteng
Quintile 5 - Daniel Schlesinger, Grade 12, Rondebosch Boys’ High School - Western Cape and Jared Slater, Grade 11, Hoerskool Parel Vallei - Western Cape

The top 10 learners of the Olympiad’s Junior division are:

In 10th place - Sebastian Steer, Grade 9, Rondebosch Boys’ High School in the Western Cape

In joint 7th place we have:
* Noah Rassou, Grade 8, South African College High Schools in the Western Cape
* Linron Shi, Grade 9, Roosevelt High School in Gauteng and
* Harrison He, Grade 9, Crawford International School Sandton in Gauteng

In joint 5th place we have:
* Aamina Mayet, Grade 9, Parktown High School for Girls in Gauteng and
* Ellen Grant-Smith, Grade 9, Westerford High School in the Western Cape

In joint 3rd place we have:
* Eli Williams, Grade 8, Westerford High School in the Western Cape and
* Yian Xu, Grade 9, Redhill School in Gauteng

In 2nd place is Youkyum Kim, Grade 9, Reddam House Durbanville in the Western Cape.

The overall winner of the Old Mutual South African Mathematics Olympiad for the junior division and the recipient of a gold medal is Caleb Johnson, a Grade 9 learner at Trinity House Randpark Ridge in Gauteng.

The runners-up of the senior division of the Olympiad are:

In joint 10th place we have:
* Shelby le Roux, Grade 12, Rustenburg Girls’ High School in the Western Cape and
* Julia Aspoas, Grade 11, Kingsmead College in Gauteng.

In 9th place is Bernard Greef, Grade 12, Linden High School in Gauteng.

In 8th place is Daniella Kaye, Grade 11. Daniella’s parents have been home-schooling her. She is from the Western Cape.

In 7th place is Benjamin Kleyn, Grade 12, Parel Vallei Hoërskool in the Western Cape

In 6th place is Jared Slater, Grade 11, also from Parel Vallei Hoërskool in the Western Cape

In joint 4th place we have:
* Daniel Schlesinger, Grade 12, Rondebosch Boys’ High School in the Western Cape and
* Alex Sinclair-Smith, Grade 12, Westerford High School in the Western Cape

In 3rd place is Minkyum Kim, Grade 11, Reddam House Durbanville in the Western Cape

In 2nd place is Juliette Roux, Grade 12, Herschel Girls’ High School in the Western Cape

"While today was about honouring the learners, we recognise that their parents and teachers play a significant role in their successes," concludes Prof Jordaan. "Thank you for your support. As we near the year-end exams, I wish all our competitors the best of luck. Your hard work will be rewarded!"

Teachers who want to enter their learners for next year's competitions can email [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]?subject=SAMF%202023%20Competitions) . Registration opens in January each year.