Held at the Mintek campus in Randburg, the Sasolburg team, consisting of Madelein van Staaden (Afrikaans Hoerskool); Thoriso Mokoena (Kahobotja Secondary); Sharma Singh (Drie-Riviere Hoerskool); and Evidence Moraba (Nkgopoleng Secondary), competed against 50 other grade 12 finalists and came an overall third in the event. This was the first time that Sasol teams participated in this competition.

To secure their winning position, each regional team of learners participated in an individual written test, followed by a team building activity, which aimed to get each team working together in order to assess each other’s strengths and weaknesses. This was then followed by a live on-stage quiz where teams competed head-on, in a rigorous and nail biting Science and Mathematics competition. Each Sasolburg team member was awarded a scientific book prize, as well as receiving R1 250 for each of their schools.

Organised by national science council, Mintek, the competition is made up of a number of regional legs that culminate in the national competition. The aim of the Minquiz competition is to foster excellence in mathematics and physical science at school level and encourage learner’s interest in careers in science, engineering and technology.

With education forming a vital part of Sasol’s strategy, initiatives such as Minquiz are key in building a culture of curiosity and innovation in the fields of science and maths at school level. As an anchor sponsor, Sasol is pleased to have partnered with Mintek in this practical and challenging competition. By sponsoring the Sasolburg, Mpumalanga and Free State legs of the competition Sasol aims to build capacity in education in the areas it operates and support learners and educators with extra tuition and interactive learning opportunities.

Talking at the event, Zimbini Zwane, Sasol’s Community and Government Relations Affairs Manager, said: “It is important that corporates partner with the Department of Education to expose as many learners to a variety of projects where science; maths; and technology is made to be fun and exciting. This makes choosing a science career an obvious choice. Sasol and Mintek have partnered to provide this space.”