Carnarvon High School learners earn medals and special awards at the Eskom Expo for Young Scientists

Learners from Carnarvon High School have made their mark at the Namakwa District Eskom Expo for Young Scientists in Calvinia, with 21 learners recognised and two of them invited to progress to the ISF Competition. The learners were supported by the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRF-SARAO) Human Capital Development (HCD) Schools Programme, together with their teachers and volunteers.

The Namakwa District competition, held in Calvinia in August 2026, is part of the Eskom Expo for Young Scientists, which gives learners the chance to develop and present scientific research projects, apply their knowledge to real-world problems, and engage with other learners and science professionals. Taking part supports the aims of the NRF-SARAO HCD Schools Programme by exposing learners to research, scientific thinking, problem-solving and other STEM opportunities.

Best Project and a step up to the ISF Competition

Unonhlanhla Smith and Alishe Malgas earned Gold awards, Best in Social Sciences and Best Project – Carnarvon for their project. Their achievement has led to an invitation to take part in the ISF Competition, the next level of scientific competition, where they will gain further exposure to research, scientific presentation and interaction with other young scientists.

Special awards

Medals and commendations

Gold

• Rudick de Bruyn
• Drakewil Garoes
• Unonhlanhla Smith
• Alishe Malgas

Silver

• Linda Syster
• Suraya Steenkamp
• Elrika Witbooi

Bronze

• Mohagan Herandien
• Zaylon de Wee
• Pieter-John Gouws
• Zeney Buffel
• Jeandré Steenkamp
• Berodine Fray
• Jisreal Sampson

Highly Commendable

• Tamzan Vlok
• Grace Olivier
• Jaydrine Kasper
• Ishwin de Wee
• Jenolene Fisher
• Skylah Jongai
• Kyle Hanson

Learning beyond the classroom

The range of awards and special recognitions reflects the learners’ engagement with scientific investigation and their willingness to apply STEM knowledge beyond the classroom. The competition gave them an opportunity to have their research evaluated in a competitive environment while building skills in scientific investigation, problem-solving, project development and presentation.