For the first time ever, all six school pupils selected to represent South Africa at the 59th International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) are from Cape Town.
Western Cape Education MEC Debbie Schäfer has congratulated the six pupils from schools around Cape Town.
The IMO team was selected after a nationwide Mathematical Talent Search conducted by the South African Mathematics Foundation. This year’s Olympiad will be hosted by Romania from 3rd to 14th July.
The learners are Adri Wessels, Ralph McDougall (both from Curro Durbanville), Emil van der Walt from Jan van Riebeeck High School, Emile Tredoux of Parklands College, Taariq Mowzer of Fairbairn College and Tim Schlesinger from Rondesbosch Boys’ High School.
“I must congratulate all six learners on their success in the competition thus far, as well as wish them the best of luck for the competition ahead in Romania,” said Schäfer.
Last year, South Africa topped the 12 other African countries that took part, which included Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Nigeria, Uganda and Botswana. Overall, in 2017, South Africa ranked 60th. Schäfer said she hoped “we can improve on this already excellent position”.
South Africa has taken part in the IMO every year since 1992 and, for the past four years, five out of the six members of the national team have been from the Western Cape. This is the first time, however, that Cape Town has scored six out of six.
A total of 110 countries will take part in the Olympiad over two days. The pupils will be confronted with six challenging mathematics problems.
Schäfer threw her weight behind the learners, saying: “I know that you will make yourselves and the City of Cape Town proud.”