Young scientists power South Africa's future at 2026 Eskom Expo

Deputy Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Dr Nomalungelo Gina says the Eskom Expo for Young Scientists is making a significant contribution to the development of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) skills in South Africa.

The Deputy Minister was speaking in Johannesburg recently at the culmination of this year's Eskom Expo International Science Fair.

The two-day event, held at the Birchwood Hotel and Conference Centre, brought together 316 selected young scientists from 35 Eskom Expo regions across South Africa and 24 international participants from Brazil, India, Ireland, Russia, Lesotho and Namibia, among others who participated virtually.

The first day focused on special awards for learners and mentors. The Department of Science, Technology and Innovation launched the inaugural Eskom Expo Mentorship Excellence Award, while the second day showcased the learners' award-winning research.

Dr Gina said the Expo offered South Africa an opportunity to address the country's STEM skills shortage and declining learner interest in these subjects.

She said the power utility, a major user of STEM skills with an extensive infrastructure programme requiring these capabilities to operate and maintain, was leading by example.

"Eskom has kept its support for the Expo despite the economic challenges facing every sector of our economy and the pressing need for new electricity generation infrastructure. It is investing in the very people who will one day build, run and improve the systems on which our nation depends," said the Deputy Minister.

South Africa's young scientists are already helping to build the skills pipeline the country needs for its energy, health and innovation future.

After months of developing, testing and refining their research, the participants demonstrated how curiosity, disciplined research and practical problem-solving can respond to challenges that affect communities, economies and societies.

Among them is Khayone Msibi, a Grade 7 learner at Klipspringer Primary School in Mpumalanga, who is developing and evaluating a classroom-based microeconomic system to teach financial discipline to primary school learners.

He said his study aimed to create a live classroom microeconomy in which learners experience real financial principles through mandatory saving rules linked to long-term rewards.

Using learner, teacher and parent surveys, Msibi collected baseline data on saving habits and mentorship gaps. He used an Android scanner application linked to a dashboard.

"The Seven-Year Wealth Foundation ClassroomEconomy proved that financial discipline is not taught as theory but through lived rules. If scaled nationally from Grade 1-7, it can produce a generation that saves, avoids debt, and works for rewards before high school," he said.

The 2026 Top Senior Scientist Award, which included a R75 000 cash prize, went to Grade 11 learner Rudra Patel of the UJ Academy Maths, Science and ICT School of Specialisation in Gauteng for his project, "Machine Learning Optimisation of Invasive Alien Plant Extracts as Sustainable Biostimulants for Crop Growth".

Patel combined machine learning with laboratory experiments to investigate how different concentrations of Lantana camara extract affect wheat growth. His findings showed that while machine-learning models could identify general concentration-dependent trends, reliable agricultural applications would require further standardised experimental data and analysis.

The Top Junior Scientist Award, which included a R50 000 cash prize, went to Grade 8 learner Denica Swartz of Eunice High School in the Free State for her project, "Quantitative Evaluation of Lactic Acid as a Treatment for Eutrophic Pond Water".

Swartz investigated lactic acid's potential to control excessive algal growth in eutrophic water. Her research found significant reductions in algal biomass, including a 77.92% decrease in chlorophyll-a under one treatment, while also identifying the ecological limitations associated with increased water acidity.

The Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Eskom Development Foundation, Mologadi Motshele, said: "Eskom is proud to support a programme that reaches young people across South Africa and helps strengthen the country's future skills base. We hope their journeys will encourage many more learners to recognise that their own questions and ideas could be the beginning of something significant."

The ISF also recognised outstanding research with 25 Gold, 100 Silver and 111 Bronze medals awarded across the Eskom Expo categories.

The inaugural Eskom Expo Mentorship Excellence Award went to Lindiwe Maphalla, a PhD candidate in biotechnology who has been mentoring Eskom Expo students for almost five years.

Mentors play a vital role in guiding learners from project ideation to competition readiness, helping them develop scientific skills, ethical research practices and confidence.

In recognition of this achievement, Maphalla will receive a trophy and an all-expenses-paid trip to Beijing, China, in March 2027 as part of an Expo delegation.

For the complete list of 2026 Eskom Expo International Science Fair winners, visit: www.exposcience.co.za. To download images, click here: https://we.tl/t-VA8yBn2wCs29iZ7Y

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Department of Science, Technology and Innovation, Republic of South Africa.