Scifest Africa's winners of Rhodes science scholarship

This year’s theme ‘Discover your Element’ coincides and celebrates the 150th anniversary of the periodic table’s creation by Dmitry Mendeleev in 1869. Scifest Africa comprises two components, the National Science Festival as well as the regional and national outreach programmes, which take place throughout the year.

One of the key objectives of the festival is to make science and learning accessible to learners from across the country, which is why, since the festival’s inception in 1996, the Rhodes University High School Quiz has formed part of its annual programme.

Annually, Scifest Africa hosts the Rhodes University High School Quiz, where national and provincial high schools participate in preliminary rounds to qualify for the final, which takes place during the week-long festival.

Limaine Pungan from RS Components South Africa with the Scifest Africa National Quiz champions from Grey High School: Alam Nafi, Jonathan Hughes, Luke Weddell and their teacher Carla Barclay

Photo by Thobani Mesani

This year’s winners hailed from Port Elizabeth’s Grey High School - pupils Alam Nafi, Jonathan Hughes and Luke Weddell, led by their teacher Carla Barclay. Each winning member walked away with a full year scholarship to study Science at Rhodes University, which was handed to them by the institution's Dean of Science, Professor Tony Booth. They also won Raspberry Pi Kits, which were sponsored by RS Components South Africa.