Aspiring scientists receive bursaries at International Science Fair to pursue their academic dreams

BLOEMFONTEIN: Two bright Gr.12 learners from the Free State are among the six recipients of prestigious bursaries of R5 million following the completion of the Eskom Expo International Science Fair national final on Friday, 10 October. They are Jaco Deysel of the Jim Fouché High School in Bloemfontein and Nobuhle Sibeko of the Lindley High School.

The top six were chosen at this year’s national final held at the Convention Centre at Emperors Palace in Kempton Park from 6 to 10 October.

The pair of Jaco and Nobuhle were part of a 20-member contingent that represented the province at the annual expo aimed at unearthing future scientists. The contestants include learners from primary and secondary schools.

About 303 candidates from 35 regions of South Africa − including 16 international participants from Lesotho, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Mexico, Ireland, India and Russia − participated in the competition. The competition made provision for an additional seven participants from Ghana and Mozambique to participate virtually.

Jaco was awarded a full bursary for his project “The Impact of a Look-up Table Design on AES Encryption Speed and RAM Demand”. His research responds to the growing need for strong and robust encryption systems. Currently, the strongest military-grade data protection method available, the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), demands high processing power, making it inaccessible to most start-up businesses. Jaco designed and developed a computer programme to encrypt and decrypt five differently sized text files using AES, resulting in enhanced performance and broader accessibility to AES in resource-constrained environments such as small businesses.

Nobuhle was awarded a full bursary for her project “The Buhle 14-Day Dream (B14) Protector System.” Her project addresses one of the most significant challenges faced by teenagers today: managing time and regulating emotions. The system offers a creative solution to procrastination and burnout, showing that with the right support, learners can manage stress effectively.

“With Eskom’s sustained community social investment support, the expo has impacted the lives of more than 17 000 young people this year alone. What makes this especially significant is Eskom’s long-term commitment to strengthening South Africa’s development route for future scientists, engineers, and innovators. Eskom is creating opportunities for learners and driving the broader national agenda of skills development, innovation, and economic growth,” said Mologadi Motshele, acting chief executive officer of the Eskom Development Foundation.

Other winners:

• Melokuhle Khuzwayo and Simesihle Khuzwayo, Gr. 12 learners at King Bhekuzulu High School from the KwaZulu-Natal Far North Region, were awarded full bursaries for their project, “Double Trouble Double Solution: Neutralising Acid & Plastics with Nature’s Help.” The twins investigated whether autolysed biomass extracts (ABE), derived from banana peel and yeast, could serve as sustainable alternatives to traditional liming agents for both pH neutralisation and microplastic removal in acidic wastewater. Their findings suggest that, with further refinement, ABEs could become low-cost solutions for rural communities lacking access to conventional wastewater treatment methods.
• Sohil Bharat, a Gr. 12 learner at Newcastle High School representing the Northern KwaZulu-Natal Region, was awarded a full bursary for the project “Vulcan Shield”  a simple, inexpensive, and reliable prototype that provides additional safety in underground mines. The prototype was able to detect a fire within one minute, align itself and extinguish the fire in approximately 21 seconds. Bharat’s innovation, an intelligent mine fire suppression system was developed through meticulous planning, design, testing and refinement.
• Ozwikona Makuya, a Gr. 12 learner at Mbilwi Secondary School representing the Vhembe Region, was awarded a full bursary for the research project “MacSonic.” Inspired by the struggles learners face when using mobile phones for studying such as distractions, scattered resources and burnout. Ozwikona created MacSonic, a powerful, all-in-one, smart, easy-to-use app that brings together everything learners need to study. This project marks a positive step towards digital learning solutions that address the real needs of South African students.