MEC Debbie Schafer congratulates learners attending 59th International Mathematics Olympiad

Six Cape Town learners to attend 59th International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO)

The South African team attending the 59th International Mathematics Olympiad are all from Cape Town schools.  For the past four years, five out of the six members of the national team have been from the Western Cape.  But this is the first time that Cape Town has scored six out of six.

The learners are:

  • Adri Wessels (Curro Durbanville)
  • Emil van der Walt (Jan van Riebeeck High School)
  • Emile Tredoux (Parklands College)
  • Ralph McDougall (Curro Durbanville)
  • Taariq Mowzer (Fairbairn College)
  • Tim Schlesinger (Rondebosch Boys’ High School)

The IMO team was selected after a nationwide Mathematical Talent Search conducted by the South African Mathematics Foundation. 

The IMO takes place in a different country every year, and this year it will take place in Romania from 3rd - 14th July 2018.  

A total of 110 countries will take part. Over two days, the world’s top teenage mathematicians will tackle six extremely challenging mathematics problems in intense but friendly competition.   

South Africa has taken part in the IMO every year since 1992, and in 2014 the event was held in Cape Town – the first IMO in Africa.

Last year, South Africa was ranked 60th and topped the 12 other African countries taking part. The other African countries (in ranked order) were Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Nigeria, Uganda, Botswana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Ghana, Tanzania and Egypt. I hope that we can improve on this already excellent position.

I must congratulate all six learners on their success in the competition thus far as well as wish them the best of luck for the competition ahead in Romania. I know that you will make yourselves and the City of Cape Town very proud.

Province
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