SA's brightest minds bring home gold medals from Pan African Mathematics Olympiad
Maths trains pupils with problem-solving skills to boost the country's economy.
The SA Mathematics Foundation said the pupils' commitment embodies their goal to strengthen maths education.
South Africa has emerged as the most accomplished nation at this year's Pan African Mathematics Olympiad (Pamo) held at the University of Botswana. The Olympiad ran from 8 to 18 June.
The six-member team that attended the Olympiad delivered an outstanding performance, bagging six medals – one for each participant.
The annual event has been held since 1987. It falls under the auspices of the African Mathematical Union.
This year's Olympiad brought together the brightest young minds, who were challenged to solve six complex problems across four mathematical disciplines – algebra, geometry, number theory and combinatorics.
Professor Seithuthi Moshokoa, the executive director of the SA Mathematics Foundation (SAMF), told City Press:
Olympiad mathematics is designed to challenge how one approaches problem-solving and analytical thinking. It is different from the mathematics taught at schools.
Professor Seithuthi Moshokoa
In the search for the thought-provoking problems, El Manar, the associate professor of mathematics at the University of Tunis, and Professor Karam Aloui, the executive secretary of the Pamo committee, said the problems committee compiled a list of potential mathematical problems, from which a jury shortlisted 12.
'The supervising committee selected the final six problems, ensuring that each covered key areas of pre-university mathematics without adhering to a fixed syllabus. This aims to challenge creativity and rigorous reasoning in equal measure,' Aloui explained.
The medals were awarded in a 1:2:3 ratio for gold, silver and bronze and the leading female scorer received the title African Mathematics Queen.
Team SA led in the competition and secured medals for their exceptional performance, as Erik Senekal, a Grade 11 pupil at Hoërskool Menlopark, James Prins (Grade 12, SA College High School) and Noah Greenblatt (Grade 11, King David High School) were awarded gold medals.
Silver was bagged by Olivia Castleden (Grade 9, Somerset College) and Ruth Trimble (Grade 11, Pinelands High School), while WanRu Zhou (Grade 11, Parklands College) earned a bronze medal.
Countries were ranked by the combined scores of their six contestants. SA claimed the top spot, followed by Tunisia and Ivory Coast, in second and third place, respectively.
I am very proud of Team SA's achievements. Their dedication, resilience and innovative thinking exemplify our mission to nurture mathematical talent and empower our educators and learners.
Moshokoa
Senekal said writing the maths Olympiad was not just to compete, but a chance to learn and grow through the process.
'I have been someone who likes to be challenged. Someone who likes to solve problems and find solutions. This is why I have participated in mathematical Olympiads every year since Grade 1. Always see an opportunity to learn – approach each problem as a chance to discover something new.'
Greenblatt said he was inspired to compete in the Olympiad because of his interest in mathematics from a young age. He also wanted to extend himself in every way he could.
Enjoying this exploration was not only fulfilling but also strengthened my creativity and problem-solving ability. Overall, it was in striving to grow my talents and interest.
According to Moshokoa, the pupils, coaches and mentors, teachers and parents all contributed to the team's success.
The pupils worked incredibly hard to get this far, and SAMF is delighted that their hard work paid off.
Moshokoa
He said that the preparation for international mathematics competitions in SA started in primary school.
SAMF programmes linked to international participation for high school pupils
SA Mathematics Challenge for primary school pupils
Old Mutual SA Mathematics Olympiad (Samo)
Mathematics Problem-Solving course for primary and high school teachers
Samo Olympiad Training Programme
'Teachers are trained to prepare pupils for Olympiad mathematics from an early age and each year more than 200 000 primary and high school pupils enter the first round, with only the top few advancing to the finals. Most international candidates have been doing advanced maths since primary school.
'Once the top 200 primary school pupils reach high school, they are often invited by SAMF to participate in the Samo Olympiad Training Programme. This programme consists of two training camps per year, as well as 11 weeks of intense training,' Moshokoa said.
He added that the selection of international participation was based on their academic performance in the programme.
Moshokoa emphasised that mathematics Olympiads and similar advanced mathematics competitions played a crucial role for individuals and the country. They prepared pupils to contribute to the country's economy through advanced problem-solving and analytical skills.
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