Durban — Pongola teenager S’qiniseko Mpilenhle Mpontshane is all smiles having just returned from an international science competition in Indonesia with a much-coveted silver medal.
“I don’t know what to say. I’m over the moon. I always look at my certificate, it’s next to my bed,” he told the Independent on Saturday this week.
It was the 19-year-old’s first trip on a plane and outside the country, and he outshone competitors from around the world in the International Science Technology Engineering Competition (Istec) on the island of Bali. Close to 800 pupils participated in various categories.
“It was wonderful. Every person had his own place, like an expo cage with a table. You could put your posters around the table and the stand adjacent to your table so you could explain your projects. Everyone passing could see the project,” he said.
His project, Sustainable transportation using a solar-powered autonomous car, was chosen to go to the Indonesian competition after it was nominated by a panel of academics and professionals at the Eskom Expo for Young Scientists International Science Fair (ISF) in October. Mpontshane’s prototype has a self-drive mode as well as a wireless trailer which he hopes will reduce the number of accidents on the country’s roads, while his “super-charging station” can charge vehicles in less than an hour.
Mpontshane hopes he has moved one step closer to clinching a learnership after matric and fulfilling his dream of working in the electric car industry like his South African heroes, Elon Musk from Tesla and Priven Reddy, a big player in the global tech space and the owner of Ararkis Automobili.
The Grade 12 pupil at the Mandla Mthethwa School of Excellence in Ndumu said being awarded the silver medal in the male category was one of the biggest moments of his life.
“The comments I got were many, especially that I must improve my project and people took my contact details because they said they would help me. Most said my project is great and I must trademark it,” he said.
Mpontshane also used the time to study the work of his competitors to see what he could learn from them and how he can use the ideas to improve his own work.
Independent on Saturday