“What an Absolute Star”: Mzansi Teen Stuns Nation With Brilliant Water Project Bound for Sweden

• A 17-year-old from Kanyamazane became the first Mpumalanga learner to win the South African Youth Water Prize national title
• His project tackles microplastic release and chemical leaching from plastic containers, a growing global water crisis
• Sinenhlanhla Sikhulile Nkosi will now compete against young scientists from more than 30 countries in Stockholm, Sweden, in August 2026

A 17-year-old Grade 11 learner from Kanyamazane, Mpumalanga, has won the 2026 South African Youth Water Prize, becoming the first ever from his province to claim the national title. Sinenhlanhla Sikhulile Nkosi from Sitintile Secondary School in Mbombela took top honours at the national finals in Kempton Park on 29 May 2026. He will now represent South Africa at the Stockholm Junior Water Prize in Sweden in August.

His winning project focuses on barrier coatings that reduce microplastic release and chemical leaching from plastic containers. It is a practical and timely response to one of the world’s most pressing water and environmental challenges. The Department of Water and Sanitation hosted the competition in partnership with the Water Research Commission.

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From Kanyamazane to the world stage

Sinenhlanhla will go up against young scientists from more than 30 countries in Stockholm. He said the win still felt unreal, but that it meant more than just a personal achievement. He described it as proof that innovation does not require endless resources or big institutions. His words: identifying a problem and having the determination to solve it is enough.

He also had a message for fellow learners who did not place in the competition. He told them that not winning does not mean the idea was not good enough. Every project, he said, adds to learning and makes the next one stronger.

Sinenhlanhla sees the Stockholm platform as a stepping stone toward a career in engineering. South Africa will be watching and cheering him on every step of the way.

See the Facebook post below:

More articles involving SA representation

• Farida Cajee represented South Africa at the 2020 Taiwan International Science Fair.
• Six South African pupils made their way to Russia for the 61st International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO).
• A young local female diving prospect, Zalika Methula, realised a lifelong dream.

Source: Briefly News