Meet Gauteng’s Young Geniuses: Top Achievers Honoured at Engen’s Maths & Science School Awards

• The South African oil company Engen recently hosted an awards ceremony to celebrate the top achievers who excelled under their free educational programme
• Engen provides supplementary education at 10 centres nationwide for learners looking to pursue careers in STEM
• The Gauteng students honoured received distinctions and over 80% in maths and science, showing how dedicated they were to their education

Although the matric results were released on 14 January, this doesn't stop people from celebrating the students' achievements for months, or even years, to come.

The celebrations continued in Gauteng after top achievers who attended Engen Maths and Science Schools (EMSS) were recognised for their hard work and dedication to their studies.

Engen fuels learners' education

On 15 February, Engen hosted the Maths & Science School Awards ceremony at Zakariyya Park Secondary School in Johannesburg to honour students who delivered outstanding matric results under their programme.

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The award ceremony is nothing new. For more than 35 years, Engen has provided free supplementary education at 10 centres across the country to equip learners who wish to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and maths, otherwise known as STEM.

Olwethu Mdabula, the South African oil company's CSI manager, shared that Engen was proud of the matriculants for showing commitment and resilience to academic excellence, adding:

"These subjects are critical in addressing the country's technical and engineering skills shortage as well as spurring economic growth and development."

More about the top achievers

Olwethu shared that while Engen is proud of all its 2024 matriculants, she felt she had to commend the programme's top achievers listed below:

Junior Khoabane

Former Leshata Secondary School learner Junior Khoabane, who has a passion for technology, achieved 82% in maths and 83% in physical science. He credited EMSS's supplementary lessons for his academic success and plans to obtain a degree in computer science.

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Mahlatse Masekane

Obtaining four distinctions, with 87% and 84% in maths and physical science, respectively, Mahlatse Masekane triumphed over financial constraints and struggles with his health during his prelims to achieve academic excellence.

The Leshata Secondary School matriculant heads to UCT to make his dream of becoming a data scientist and quantitative analyst at one of the top banks in South Africa come true.

Vulombe Nhlohlori Maluleke

After joining the EMSS programme in Grade 10, Vulombe Nhlohlori Maluleke from Zakariyya Park Combined School aced his matric exams by achieving four distinctions and excelling in maths.

His plans for his academic future see him studying for a BSc in computer science at Wits.

Amandla Ngubo

Leshata Secondary School alumnus Amandla Ngubo's outstanding 85% in maths and physical science earned him a spot at the UCT, where he plans to study civil engineering, bringing him steps closer to his dream of running a successful construction company.

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Amandla, who joined EMSS in Grade 10, didn't let the difficulties of travelling to school and financial struggles stop him from receiving an education and reaching his goals.

3 Other stories about matriculants' success

• In another article, Briefly News spoke to Joshua Andrews, a pupil from Gauteng who earned 15 distinctions and an acceptance letter from Harvard University.
• Cape Town student Malwanda Baloyi was a top achiever with a disability who wowed Mzansi with her matric results.
• Sibusiso Buthelezi from KwaZulu-Natal emerged as a top matric achiever in 2024 despite experiencing frequent power outages in his area.

Source: Briefly News