Western Cape students have once again proven their mathematical prowess by sweeping top honours at the South African Mathematics Foundation (SAMF) annual awards ceremony held on Sunday at OR Tambo International Airport on 27 October 2025.
The province’s dominance was evident across all levels of competition, with learners from local schools claiming the most prestigious awards in both primary and secondary categories.
Moied Baleg, a Grade 12 learner at The Settlers High School, was crowned the overall winner of the Old Mutual South African Mathematics Olympiad (SAMO) for high school learners. Selected from among the top 115 Grade 10-12 contestants nationwide, he received the coveted gold Dirk van Rooy medal.
“This achievement reflects not only Moied’s exceptional talent, but also the quality of mathematics education in our province,” said Prof Seithuti Moshokoa, Executive Director of SAMF.The Western Cape’s success continued in the primary-school category, where Ivy Williams, a Grade 7 learner at Sweet Valley Primary School, claimed the gold Alwyn Olivier medal as overall winner of the South African Mathematics Challenge (SAMC). She was selected from among 271 top Grade 6-7 contestants across the country.
The two winning schools also received institutional recognition, Diocesan College (Bishops) named the Top Performing School Award in the SAMO competition, while Sweet Valley Primary School claimed the same honour for the SAMC.
The province’s mathematical excellence extended to tertiary level, where Noah Jacobsen, a second-year student at the University of Cape Town, was recognised as one of the top performing undergraduate students in the Standard Bank South African Tertiary Mathematics Olympiad (SATMO). In team competitions, Western Province 1 claimed victory in the Senior Division of the ASSA South African Mathematics Team Competition, sponsored by the Actuarial Society of South Africa.
The ceremony also highlighted inspiring stories of determination and inclusion. Jivana Bisetty, a Grade 4 learner from Crawford International School in La Lucia, KwaZulu-Natal, made history as the first blind learner to place among the Top 10 in the South African Mathematics Challenge.
Asked to describe her dream calculator, she replied: “A braille display with refreshable braille lines, and the buttons should also be in braille.”
Another remarkable achievement was from Rebotile Ramalebana, a Grade 5 learner at Maijane Primary School in Limpopo, marking the first time in years that a learner from the province had reached the top 10 in the SAMC.
“This is testament to the impact of our teacher-empowerment programmes,” explained Patrick Rasehwete, the SAMC’s project manager. Seeing a learner of any of these teachers get this far makes us extremely proud.”
The awards ceremony celebrated not only student achievement, but also long-standing contributions to mathematics education. Dr Liam Baker of Stellenbosch University received the Long-Service SAMO award for his dedicated service to the olympiad.
Moshokoa concluded: “Today we celebrate not only the talent and hard work of our young mathematicians, but also the teachers, families and sponsors who support them. The achievements we have recognised today show the bright future ahead for South Africa in mathematics, science and innovation.”
The SAMF competitions, supported by sponsors including Old Mutual, SAICA, Standard Bank, and the Actuarial Society of South Africa, continue to nurture mathematical talent across the country, with the Western Cape maintaining its position as a leading province in mathematical excellence.
