High school learners from across the Western Cape are getting ready to represent South Africa in two upcoming international mathematics olympiads.
The South African Mathematics Foundation (SAMF) recently announced the names of the learners who will make up the two teams that will represent the country at two international mathematics competitions.
The International Mathematical Olympiad (Imo) will take place from Wednesday 6 to Sunday 16 July in Oslo, Norway, while the Pan African Mathematics Olympiad (Pamo) kicked off on Sunday 19 June in Benguerir, Morocco. It will continue until Tuesday 28 June.
Imo team leader Dr Liam Baker, a lecturer at Stellenbosch University and Imo and Pamo alumnus, explains how the SAMF selects the teams.
“We invited the top-performing contestants of the 2021 Old Mutual South African Mathematics Olympiad (Samo) to a training camp in December. After the camp, learners must continue with their training by submitting monthly assignments to be considered for the final selection training camp in April.”
The high school learners who will represent South Africa in this year’s Imo are Juliette Roux (Grade 12) from Herschel Girls’ High School, Alex Sinclair-Smith (Grade 12) from Westerford High School, Minkyum Kim (Grade 11) Youkyum Kim (Grade 9) from Reddam House in Durbanville, Benjamin Kleyn (Grade 12) from Hoërskool Parel Vallei, and Emmanuel Rassou (Grade 12) from South African College High School.
Each Pamo team consists of three boys and three girls.
The learners who will represent South Africa in this year’s Pamo are: Jason de Villiers (Grade 12) from Rondebosch Boys’ High School, Daniella Kaye (Grade 11) from Herschel Girls’ High School, Shelby le Roux (Grade 12) from Rustenburg Girls’ High School, Youkyum Kim (Grade 9) from Reddam House, Jana Rossouw (Grade 10) from Hoërskool Jim Fouche, and Jared Slater (Grade 11) from Hoërskool Parel Vallei.
Prof Kerstin Jordaan, the executive director at the SAMF, says she is proud of the learners in this year’s teams.
“To be selected for the international teams is one of the highlights of participation in the Samo. It takes years of preparation, starting with participating in the Nestlé Nespray South African Mathematics Challenge (SAMC) when in Grade 4.”
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.
