Gqeberha-based Cape Recife High School won Samsung’s 2026 Solve for Tomorrow challenge.
Special education needs school Cape Recife High School in Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth) is overall winner of this year’s Samsung Solve for Tomorrow competition.
The finale was hosted in Pretoria on Friday, following prototype presentations the previous day.
Cape Recife High School emerged victorious, beating over 140 hopefuls for the top prize. Mbilwi Secondary School from Limpopo claimed second place, while the North West’s Sekete IV Secondary School rounded off the top three.
Cape Recife is a public special education needs co-educational school in Summerstrand. The school took the top prize for its idea that turns two little bottles into sporting equipment for youth development.
The thinking behind the prototype was to take a bottle that would normally be discarded after use and give it a “second life” by refurbishing it into sports equipment. It’s mainly aimed at keeping young children off the streets and away from criminal activities.
“We know we are not directly fighting crime, but we understand that if we can build a child’s foundation through sports, we can possibly have the next Siya Kolisi or Ronwen Williams,” said one of the learners.
The team’s mentor added: “Through design thinking, the learners discovered they were solving more than just a plastic problem. They looked at children in their communities and discovered how access to sport could give them opportunity, purpose and a good environment. They even explored how technology can help children with cerebral palsy.”
Samsung Solve for Tomorrow is a global science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) competition that empowers public school youth to design practical, technology-driven solutions for local community, social, economic and environmental challenges.
Launched in Africa in 2023, Samsung has partnered with the State Information Technology Agency, the Department of Basic Education and several other stakeholders for the local leg of the competition.
The initiative is an opportunity for learners to apply STEM education to real-world problems, while honing their creative thinking, problem-solving and teamwork skills.
It follows a phased approach. During phase one, the top 20 schools are tasked with addressing environmental challenges and developing concrete solutions to benefit society. The schools receive support from Samsung employee-mentors, resources like Samsung tablets and data, and guidance through design thinking workshops to enhance their problem-solving abilities.
In the second phase, the learners conduct research, develop prototypes and submit their solutions for evaluation.
The top three teams win STEM equipment for their schools worth R100 000 (first place), R50 000 or R30 000 (second and third places, respectively).
In addition to the main prizes, the winning learners and participating teachers were rewarded with Samsung Galaxy devices.
The competition is open to all public schools in South Africa, with quintile five schools added this year, said Lefa Makgato, corporate social responsibility manager at Samsung Electronics Southern Africa.
According to Makgato, this year’s competition attracted over 143 submissions from schools across the country, making it the largest submission of entries compared to previous years.
Over the past three years, the competition has received a maximum of 43 entries annually, she stated. “This has shown us that our young people are ready to innovate, they see the challenges around them, have ideas and are willing to be part of solution. Most importantly, it reaffirmed the importance of public-private partnerships.
“We could not have achieved this milestone without the active involvement of the mathematics, science and technology department at national and provincial level.”
She added that more girls participated in this year’s Samsung Solve for Tomorrow.
Out of the nearly 150 submissions, the top 20 schools were selected to move forward, representing all nine provinces, said Makgato.
“The competition became more practical from this stage, with learners participating in provincial design thinking workshops where they had a chance to learn and understand the people affected by the problem, define the challenge, develop ideas, test them and develop the various prototypes.”
For this year’s challenge, Makgato said the learners worked around two important themes: social inclusion through sports and technology, and environmental sustainability through technology.
“They explored how sports and technology can create inclusion, improve health, develop young talent and strengthen communities. They also examined issues such as waste, water scarcity, energy access and climate change, considering how technology can help create a more sustainable future.
“The ideas we’ve seen prove that innovation doesn’t only belong in big companies or laboratories; it can start in a school classroom.”
