Two Pretoria learners, Gustav Heesen and Johan Vorster, have made history at the 2025 Gauteng-North iMBEWU Science Fair, becoming the first Grade 7 learners in 39 years to be named overall winners. Competing against learners up to Grade 12, they also earned gold in the Artificial Intelligence (AI) category.
Their project — an accessible AI-driven solution to support teachers in overcrowded classrooms — stood out for its practical impact and innovation in addressing real challenges in South African education.
They went on to compete at the National SA-YESS Science Fair, where they achieved Gold and Second Runner-Up overall, securing an invitation to represent South Africa at the 2026 Genius Olympiad in New York.
Science expos like iMBEWU are not only prestigious platforms for young innovators but also play an important role in giving learners — including those in the homeschooling community — the opportunity to gain exposure, test their ideas, and compete alongside their peers at a high level.
To support their journey to the international stage, a fundraising campaign has been launched:
👉 https://www.backabuddy.co.za/campaign/genius-olympiad-finalists-help-us-get-there
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Every contribution brings these young innovators one step closer to representing South Africa on the global stage.
