"We Keep Winning": SA's Matthew Bowen Wins Silver in Aircraft Maintenance at WorldSkills 2026
- South African competitor Matthew Bowen claimed a silver medal in Aircraft Maintenance at the WorldSkills Competition 2026 in Shanghai, China
- Bowen scored 738 points and earned the Best of Nation Medal as South Africa's highest-scoring competitor at the global event
- South Africa sent 29 students across 27 skills to compete against roughly 1,400 competitors from more than 90 countries
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Source: Facebook
Matthew Bowen, a South African aircraft maintenance competitor, delivered one of the country's proudest sporting moments of 2026. At the WorldSkills Competition in Shanghai, China, he claimed a silver medal in Aircraft Maintenance on 29 September 2026, finishing with an impressive 738 points.
Alongside the silver medal, Bowen received the Best of Nation Medal, awarded to the highest-scoring South African competitor at the tournament. It was a double honour that captured the attention of South Africans far beyond the aviation industry.
South Africa's team at WorldSkills 2026
Bowen was one of 29 South African students who travelled to Shanghai representing the country across 27 different skill categories. They competed alongside approximately 1,400 athletes from more than 90 nations at one of the world's most prestigious vocational skills competitions.
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Video footage credited to Spuknik Africa and shared by Business Insider Africa showed the South African delegation walking through the competition venue in matching green team jackets, arms raised and energy high, celebrating what had been an extraordinary outing on the global stage.
View the Facebook video below:
Mzansi celebrates the win
South Africans online on the page wasted no time responding to the news, flooding the comments with pride:
@Maths Tutor wrote:
"At this rate I swear we are just making up these competitions just to win and dominate more 🤣 We keep winning even in competitions I never knew existed ❤❤"
@Kwalindishi Uutundu said:
"Winning after winning, congratulations neighbour!"
@Sjimbo O'nine Bhele added:
"My lazy people, born winners ❤️🖤❤️"
@Matome Mathekga shared:
"South Africa is a winning nation"
@Mlambo Lordwish noted:
"Amazing 30 percenters!"
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Source: Briefly News
