SARAO hosts successful World Robot Olympiad harnessing fresh tech talent among Northern Cape learners

SARAO in partnership with the World Robot Olympiad (WRO) hosted its annual WRO robotics competition on Saturday, 16 August 2025 at Carnarvon High School in the Northern Cape.

The event, well attended by school representatives and communities, saw the region’s most talented young minds from ages 9 – 18 years old in robotics competing for a coveted spot at the national finals.

The competition, which challenges learners to design, build, and program autonomous robots to solve specific tasks, was a spectacular display of innovation, problem-solving, and teamwork. After a full day of rigorous challenges across the Robo Mission and Explorer categories, four elite teams emerged victorious, earning the right to represent the Northern Cape at the Robo Mission National Finals at Heartfelt Arena 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

Follow this link to view provincial rankings results

This event is a key initiative of SARAO’s Human Capital Development Programme, specifically its Schools Programme, which aims to ignite a passion for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics among youth. By hosting competitions like the WRO, SARAO seeks to build a strong pipeline of future engineers and scientists, crucial for the continued success of projects like the MeerKAT and Square Kilometre Array telescopes.

The successful execution of the tournament was steered by key figures from SARAO’s education team. Chantel Mathison, SARAO’s Schools Programme Professional Officer, and Odwa Magabuko, Schools Programme Coordinator, were instrumental in managing the event, ensuring a fair, competitive, and inspiring environment for all participants.

“We are incredibly proud of all the learners who participated. The level of skill and determination on display was truly impressive,” said Mathison. “These competitions are vital for developing the critical thinking and technical abilities that are essential for our future innovators. We have high hopes for our top teams as they prepare for the Robo Mission National Finals in Pretoria. Congratulations to all teams that participated in this year’s WRO 2025 challenges.”

The national finals later this month will see teams from all nine provinces compete for the opportunity to represent South Africa on the world stage.