South African Young Scientists Awarded at International Science Festival in Tunisia
South African Young Scientists Receive International Recognition
Two Grade 12 learners from St Dominics Newcastle School in KwaZulu-Natal have received awards at the International Festival of Engineering, Science and Technology (I-FEST²) held in Tunisia last week.
Hamzah Ismail and Vibhav Ramdas earned the opportunity to represent South Africa at the international competition after their success at the Eskom Expo International Science Fair in 2024.
Bronze Medal for Eco-Friendly Construction Innovation
Ismail, who was awarded a Bronze medal at the festival, presented his research project titled 'Developing eco-friendly, fire-retardant plastic bricks as an alternative in modern construction' in the Environmental Science category.
"The competition was extremely tough, with brilliant young scientists from around the world, so achieving this is a tremendous honour," said Ismail, who described the recognition as "a reminder that hard work and perseverance pay off."
Honourable Award for Road Maintenance Technology
Ramdas received an Honourable Award for his Computer Science project, 'Using Object Detection to Improve Road Maintenance.' He expressed feeling "a sudden rush of excitement" upon hearing his project ID called at the awards ceremony.
"I felt like I had made my family and country proud," Ramdas said. He emphasized that "hard work always pays off" and encouraged other young scientists not to give up on their innovations.
International Experience Beyond Competition
The I-FEST² took place from March 21-27, 2025, in Mahdia, Tunisia. Beyond the competition itself, Ismail highlighted the cultural exchange as a significant benefit of the experience.
"Meeting people from so many different countries" and "representing South Africa at Culture Night" were among his highlights, along with "exploring new places, tasting different foods, and making international friends."
Eskom's Continued Support for Young Scientists
The Acting CEO of the Eskom Development Foundation, Ms Mologadi Motshele, congratulated the students and reaffirmed Eskom's commitment to "empowering South Africa's youth by providing opportunities that promote skills development and excellence in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and innovation (STEMI)."
Eskom Expo Executive Director, Parthy Chetty, called the students' success "proof that with passion and perseverance, anything is possible" and encouraged other learners to "dream big, work hard, and push boundaries."
Registration Still Open for Eskom Expo 2025
School learners in Grades 4-12 and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) students (NCV Level 2-4) can still register their research projects for the Eskom Expo 2025 by visiting www.exposcience.co.za.
Key Terms Explained
- I-FEST²: The International Festival of Engineering, Science and Technology in Tunisia, organized by the Tunisian Association for the Future of Science and Technology.
- Eskom Expo: South Africa's premier science fair that provides a platform for young scientists to showcase their research and innovations.
- STEMI: Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Innovation - the core focus areas that Eskom's development initiatives aim to strengthen among South African youth.
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