South Africa's inaugural Astronomy Olympiad Camp brings together young astronomy talent from across the country

Held from 24 to 30 September 2026 in Cape Town, South Africa’s first pilot Astronomy Olympiad Camp brought together 30 young astronomy enthusiasts from all nine provinces for a week-long programme designed to identify, develop and inspire the next generation of astronomers and STEM professionals.

Hosted at the National Research Foundation’s South African Astronomical Observatory (NRF-SAAO), the camp integrated academic learning, teacher training and scientific presentations. Aimed at providing learners with more than just an introduction to Astronomy, the camp offered a space where learners may interact with professionals in astronomy, explore areas of interest and improve their scientific skills.

Approximately 2686 learners from across the country participated in the national qualifying test in August, from which 30 learners in Grades 8 to 10 were selected to attend the inaugural camp. The selected cohort reflected the national reach of the programme, with learners drawn from all nine provinces and from schools across all five school quintiles. Seven learners came from Quintile 1 schools, two from Quintile 2, ten from Quintile 3, five from Quintile 4 and six from Quintile 5 schools. The pilot programme aimed to move beyond a traditional Olympiad model focused primarily on elevating already high-performing learners, it sought to widen access to astronomy and connect young people from different socioeconomic and geographic backgrounds with South Africa’s scientific enterprise.

Throughout the camp, learners explored a range of astronomy topics including astronomical image interpretation, error estimation, logical reasoning and calculations. Light and telescopes, binary and variable stars, the Milky Way and galaxies, observing the sky, the Earth-Moon system and Solar System, astrophysics, cosmology, the Sun and stars and stellar evolution. These lessons were delivered alongside a parallel teacher training programme, equipping educators with additional knowledge and resources to support astronomy education in their classrooms.

The programme also extended beyond formal classroom instruction. Learners visited the Cape Town Science Centre and Iziko Planetarium, toured NRF|SAAO facilities. As part of scientific exposure, learners travelled to NRF|SAAO Sutherland site in the Northern Cape where they experienced stargazing and visited the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT), connecting the concepts they had learned with the scientific facilities and environments where astronomy is actively pursued.

Learners also had the opportunity to apply their knowledge through a Science Fair, where they developed and presented astronomy-related projects to a panel of judges. In Grade 8, Kabo Chidi of Rantobeng High School in Limpopo took first place, with Sanele Zwane of Elangwane Secondary School in Mpumalanga and Shontelle Mti of Sutherland High School in the Northern Cape placing second and third, respectively. Grade 9 saw Snqobile Cele of Empangeni High School in KwaZulu-Natal take first place, followed by Wandile Manzama of Sofunda Secondary School in Mpumalanga and Courtney Williams of Sutherland High School in the Northern Cape. In Grade 10, Kreah Govender of Durban Girls’ High School in KwaZulu-Natal placed first, with Naledi Lirane of Thuto-Lore Comprehensive School in Gauteng and Tawananyasha Gutuza of Atlehang Senior Secondary School in the Free State taking second and third places.

The pilot included Astronomy Olympiad test, which recognised top-performing learners across the three grades. Joshua Koopman of Carnarvon High School in the Northern Cape, Liselihle Jama of Stedin College in the Eastern Cape and Siwaphiwe Baleni of Mida English Medium School in the Eastern Cape took first place in Grades 8, 9 and 10, respectively. In Grade 8, Chantel Baafi of Danielskuil Combined School and Onako Owan Peteni of Sandisiwe High School placed second and third. Grade 9 was rounded out by Siyolise Ketelo of Desmond Mpilo Tutu Secondary School in Mpumalanga and Anele Mahlalela of Empangeni High School in KwaZulu-Natal, while Luniko Tyalimpi of Fezeka Secondary School in the Western Cape and Hamadi Bukenya of Welkom Islamic School in the Free State placed second and third in Grade 10.

The camp concluded with a closing ceremony at the University of Cape Town, where learners and educators reflected on their experiences and were recognised for their achievements and participation. The ceremony included contributions from representatives of the astronomy, education and scientific communities, followed by the presentation of prizes for the Science Fair and Olympiad Test.

The programme was delivered in collaboration with the South African Astronomical Observatory (NRF-SAAO), Square Kilometre Array Observatory (SKAO), the University of Cape Town (UCT), the University of South Africa (UNISA), BRICS Astronomy, South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRF-SARAO), the African Astronomical Society (AfAS), the Research and Training in Astronomy and Astrophysics (RATT) programme, the South African Agency for Science and Technology Advancement (NRF-SAASTA), the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI), Cape Town Science Centre, Iziko Museums of South Africa and other partners.

The successful completion of the pilot provides a foundation for the further development and long-term implementation of the South African Astronomy Olympiad. In line with the DSTI’s long-term vision for the programme, future iterations aim to strengthen astronomy education, identify and nurture young talent, and create more opportunities for learners and teachers to participate in the country’s growing astronomy and space science ecosystem.