Walking in the footsteps of giants

	Minister Naledi Pandor, keynote speaker at the awards event, and Dr Vuyane Mhlomi, a medical doctor at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, one of Mail & Guardian's 200 Young South Africans of 2013 and Founder of the MH Foundation, which provides disadvantaged children with the means to reach their potential. Vuyane was a guest speaker at the event.
	Top achievers in the National Science Olympiad Thomas Orton of Bishops High School in Cape Town, Ishaaq Lakhi of Raisethorpe Secondary School in KwaZulu-Natal and Rebecca Rogers of Reddam House Atlantic Seaboard in Cape Town will be attending the London International Youth Science Forum later this year.
	The Grade 11s who excelled in this year's National Science Olympiad are Hamandishe Mathivha of Mbilwi Secondary School in Limpopo (left) and Danielle Vellema of Outeniqua High School in George, Western Cape. These learners will be attending the Science Focus Week in Australia in January 2015.
	Dr Albert van Jaarsveld, CEO of the National Research Foundation, with the special publication launched by SAASTA to mark the 50th anniversary of the National Science Olympiad.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the National Science Olympiad. "By looking back over the past 50 years, we realised that the winners of the 2014 Olympiad will be walking in the footsteps of giants who participated in the past and have reached the top of their profession," says Dr Jabu Nukeri, Managing Director of SAASTA, the host of the Olympiad.

Southern Africa's top young science performers in 2014 were honoured at an award ceremony in Gauteng on 10 July, where they were inspired by some of the past winners to excel in their chosen professions one day. SAASTA presented awards to top achievers and schools in the areas of Physical and Life Sciences at the ceremony, and launched a book to celebrate the 50 years of this project.

Book celebrating 50 years of identifying and nurturing talent

This book takes a look at SAASTA's role in identifying and nurturing talent through programmes such as the National Science Olympiad and profiles exceptional people who participated in the Olympiad, such as Prof Nithaya Chetty, the NRF Group Executive for Astronomy, Mteto Nyati, MD of Microsoft South Africa, award winning poet Imraan Coovadia, many other inspiring people as well as the next generation of innovators.

It also focuses on the endless possibilities that a solid school-level foundation in Science and Mathematics can offer a person in terms of career choices. It does this using the words of people who have followed a variety of paths, but all of whom share a passion for science, and all of whom have participated in the National Science Olympiad over the years.

"Uncovering the names of past winners for the book provided SAASTA with a proud heritage of science leaders and innovators," said Dr Albert van Jaarsveld, CEO of the National Research Foundation.

The National Science Olympiad

"It's remarkable to note that this is the 50th year of the Olympiad. It's remarkable enough on its own, but the Olympiad is much more than a science and biology exam competition. It's the jewel in the crown of our Youth into Science strategy, which is all about identifying and nurturing talent. The Olympiad also identifies talent. It identifies talent that teachers have nurtured in schools across the length and breadth of the country," said the Minister of Science and Technology, Ms Naledi Pandor, in her keynote speech at the event.

The Olympiad aims to contribute towards excellence in science among learners and to encourage them to take up careers in science, engineering and technology. Just under 30 000 learners in grades 10 to 12 wrote either the Physical Sciences or Life Science paper on 3 March this year. Winners in different categories were awarded prizes such as laptops, iPads, e-book readers and more at the awards event. The top-performing schools received science equipment for their laboratories.

The 100 learners who performed best in this examination were invited to attend the Science Focus Week in Pretoria this past week, where they were entertained and exposed to careers in science and technology. They were treated to lectures, excursions and industry visits to, among others, a Harmony Gold mine, the National Zoological Gardens, Necsa, Denel, the Agricultural Research Council, the Johannesburg Observatory, and Nissan.

Sponsors

SAASTA has been receiving sponsorship from the Harmony Gold Mining Company for the National Science Olympiad for the past five years, which has allowed the organisation to expand the competition significantly. The Department of Science and Technology also provides SAASTA with funding to increase the participation of selected Dinaledi Schools by settling the entry fees on their behalf.

Best performance awarded

The four top achievers in grade 12 in 2014 will be taken on an all-expenses-paid trip to attend the London International Youth Science Forum in July this year, and two top achievers in grade 11 will attend the Australian National Youth Science Forum in January 2015. Past participants all agree these trips provided the opportunity of a lifetime.

The four learners who will be attending the 2014 London International Youth Science Forum are:

Best overall marks in Physical Sciences:
Mr Thomas Orton of Bishops High School in Cape Town
Best overall marks in Life Sciences:
Mr Ishaaq Lakhi of Raisethorpe Secondary School in KwaZulu-Natal
Best marks in Physical Sciences in Grade 11:
Mr Bataung Mohapi, African Leadership Academy, Gauteng
Top girl learner in Life Sciences:
Ms Rebecca Rogers, Reddam House Atlantic Seaboard, Western Cape

Two learners have been selected to attend a Science Focus Week in Australia in January 2015: Mr Hamandishe Mathivha of Mbilwi Secondary School in Limpopo and Ms Danielle Vellema of Outeniqua High School in George, Western Cape.

This year the London International Youth Science Forum will explore the way scientists develop novel solutions and approaches to important challenges. It will take place from 23 July to 6 August. The Forum brings together over 300 students of the sciences from almost 60 countries on the five continents. The learners will participate in a programme of lectures and demonstrations from leading scientists, visits to industrial sites and research facilities.

National Science Olympiad 2015

Registration for the 2015 National Science Olympiad will open in October this year and the closing date is 30 January 2015. Please visit www.saasta.ac.za for more information.