South Africa has announced its national mathematics teams, with talented learners selected to represent the country at prestigious international Olympiads this year.
The South African Mathematics Foundation (SAMF) has unveiled the learners who will represent South Africa at two of the world’s most prestigious mathematics competitions – the International Mathematics Olympiad (IMO) in Shanghai, China, and the Pan African Mathematics Olympiad (PAMO) in Côte d’Ivoire.
The International Mathematics Olympiad, taking place from 10 to 20 July 2026, is regarded as the world’s premier mathematics competition for high school learners. More than 100 countries participate annually, with competitors tackling some of the most challenging mathematics problems in the world.
South Africa’s six-member IMO team includes Eli Williams, Pocoyo Pun, Noah Rassou, Vincent Wang, Noah Greenblatt and Xiaoyuan Li. The team will be led by Ms Kerry Porrill from Stellenbosch University, with Ms Yian Xu from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology serving as deputy team leader.
The Pan African Mathematics Olympiad, scheduled for 26 June to 4 July 2026, brings together Africa’s strongest young mathematicians to compete in advanced mathematical problem-solving challenges.
Representing South Africa at PAMO will be Anni Luo, Zixuan Liu, Ruth Trimble, Zhenxuan Liu, Yi Shi and Eric Huang. The team will be led by Mr Aidan Conradie from Stellenbosch University and deputy team leader Ms Ellen Grant-Smith from the University of Cape Town.
Unlike traditional classroom mathematics examinations, Olympiad competitions focus on logical reasoning, creativity, pattern recognition and advanced problem-solving. Learners are required to develop original solutions to complex mathematical challenges under significant time pressure.
Selection for the national teams follows a rigorous multi-year process. Many learners begin their journey through the South African Mathematics Challenge in primary school before progressing to the South African Mathematics Olympiad during high school.
The scale of the competition highlights the achievement of the selected learners. Approximately 85,000 learners participate in the first round of the South African Mathematics Olympiad each year. Around 20% progress to the second round, while only the top 200 learners advance to the final stage.
From this group, SAMF identifies a national training squad whose members undergo intensive training camps, assignments, assessments and ongoing evaluations before final teams are selected.
According to SAMO Project Manager Herman Bosman, reaching international Olympiad level requires years of commitment and perseverance.
“These learners have spent years developing advanced mathematical thinking. Reaching this level requires discipline, persistence, and the ability to solve complex problems under pressure,” said Bosman.
Through its Olympiad programmes, learner development initiatives, teacher empowerment efforts and advocacy work, SAMF aims to strengthen mathematical problem-solving skills while helping to develop South Africa’s future scientists, engineers, innovators and critical thinkers.
The announcement highlights the important role mathematics education continues to play in developing the skills needed to drive innovation, economic growth and future competitiveness in South Africa.
