Northern Cape Robotics teams excel at the WRO Open Championship Europe 2025 in Slovenia

In a proud moment for South Africa, two local robotics teams from Carnarvon High School, supported by the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO), recently competed at the prestigious World Robot Olympiad (WRO) Open Championship Europe 2025 in Slovenia.

The teams, Automation Avengers and Circuit Breakers, represented the nation with distinction at the massive event, which was graced by over 210 teams from 45+ countries and more than 90 judges.

The talented learners who made this achievement possible are:

• Roswell Pipes
• Jerome Visagie
• Eugenio Nuwegeld
• Shevodian Farmer
• Lincoln de Wee
• Farren Louw

The competition was fierce, but the Northern Cape learners rose to the challenge:

• Team Automation Avengers achieved an impressive 14th place with a total of 116 points in the senior Robo Mission category
• Team Circuit Breakers secured 28th place with 43 points in the senior Robo Mission category.

Their participation was made possible through the steadfast support of SARAO, which rallied behind the learners as part of its deep commitment to human capital development and creating legacy opportunities in STEM for communities in the Northern Cape. 

“On behalf of everyone at SARAO, we extend our heartfelt congratulations to these outstanding young innovators. Their performance in Slovenia is a powerful demonstration of the exceptional talent and potential that exists in the Northern Cape. This experience aligns perfectly with SARAO’s commitment to human capital development and our mission to inspire future generations through excellence in science, technology, and innovation. We are incredibly proud to support them and will continue to champion their journey as they prepare for the national finals,” says SARAO Managing Director Pontsho Maruping.

The teams have now returned, carrying not just their robots, but a wealth of global experience. The journey, however, is not over. Both teams are preparing for their next challenge: the WRO National Finals in Pretoria on Saturday, 13 September 2025.

The top teams heading to the nationals are:

• Gold Medal – Cyber Squad from Carnarvon Primary – Robo Mission Junior Age Group
• Gold Medal – Automation Avengers – Carnarvon High School – Robo Mission Senior Age Group
• Silver Medal – Circuit Breakers – Carnarvon High School – Robo Mission Junior Age Group
• Bronze Medal – Guardians of the galaxies – Carnarvon High School – Robo Mission Senior Age Group

The below teams have also received invitations to participate in the National Competition:

• City Sweepers – Carnarvon High School – Robo Mission Senior Age Group
• Mini-Bots – JJ Booysen Primary School, Loxton – Explorer Prime

Congratulations to Roswell, Jerome, Eugenio, Shevodian, Lincoln, and Farren from Carnarvon High School for flying the South African flag high on the global stage. Immense gratitude also goes to the dedicated staff at SARAO, Schools Professional Officer, Chantel Mathison; and the Coordinator of SARAO’s Robotics Schools Programme, Odwa Magabuko; Virgillian Kasper, SARAO Receiver Technician along with the teachers and mentor Jeanine Mathison, whose unwavering support was instrumental in this achievement.

Ranking Criteria Note:
Teams were ranked based on the sum of points and time from their best runs on both Day 1 and the 2nd-Day-Challenge.

Follow this link for full set of scoring and results – https://slovenia25wro.si/robomission-future-innovators/