Former Daveyton and Crystal Park residents Thandolwethu and Owami Mazibuko are making waves in robotics and coding after qualifying for the World Robot Olympiad (WRO) South Africa finals.
The siblings, who now live in Cape Town, impressed at the WRO Western Cape North regional championships on August 3 after placing second overall in the robo-mission category.
In the competition, Thandolwethu (15) and Owami (14) created robots by coding them to acquire points based on speed, accuracy and instructions they received.
The Kids Innovate Africa (KIA) members, which offers youth courses in robotics and coding, will now compete at the national finals in Randburg on September 13 and 14.
“This achievement means that hard work pays off. We are elated, but there is still more to learn. We are looking forward to the nationals,” said Owami.
Thandolwethu explained the global shift to the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) sparked their interest in robotics and coding.
“We love robotics and coding because it stimulates our cognitive abilities. It teaches us creativity and encourages teamwork. Since the world is moving to 4IR, we believe it is wise to get our foundation going to become trailblazers of the 4IR in Africa, using robotics and coding as our base,” he said.
After coming out on top in their club competition, they advanced to the regional championships, where they were selected to represent the Western Cape at the nationals.
The winners of the national finals will represent the country and continent at the WRO International final in Türkiye in November.
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