Young KwaZulu-Natal innovator shines at Eskom Expo
November 2023
News
A young innovator from KwaZulu-Natal has won awards at the 43rd Eskom Expo International Science Fair (ISF) for his research project, which uses renewable energy resources like solar and wind power as a backup power source for cell phone towers during loadshedding. John Hamilton, 12, from Khethani Christian School represented the KwaZulu-Natal Far North Region, where he was awarded the HJ van der Bijl Award presented by Teraco, which consisted of a R9000 cash prize.
“My project was inspired by seeing the negative impact on people’s lives in our community because of poor network coverage during loadshedding. Also, in summer after big storms, we often don’t have a network for many hours, sometimes even for days. I wanted to use renewable energy sources to solve an electricity problem we are experiencing,” said Hamilton, who was also awarded a Bronze medal for his research project.
“It was a very good experience to be part of the Eskom Expo ISF, and see many other interesting projects. Getting to know the kind people in my team was wonderful. The special awards evening was very nice and fun because the MC, Bunny Majaja made us feel so special. I was shocked to win as it was my first time participating at the ISF. I did not expect to receive such a huge award. I will never forget that moment,” he said. Hamilton enjoys building things with his hands using electrical parts or paper. While only in grade 6 currently, his dream is to become an electrical engineer or a maths teacher one day.
Eskom acting group executive, Natasha Sithole, said: “Being a steadfast supporter of the Eskom Expo, we were overjoyed to witness how it has evolved into a fertile ground for nurturing the aspirations of young scientists. Eskom firmly believes that investments in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and innovation (STEMI) act as the catalyst for uncovering enduring solutions to our nation’s pressing challenges. The ISF showcased youthful ingenuity, with learners exploring diverse topics ranging from behavioural studies to pioneering experiments, IT, machine learning, artificial intelligence applications, and the application of physics and mathematics.”
Eskom Expo executive director, Parthy Chetty said: “Learners like Hamilton hail from a rural part of our country that lacks the resources found in most major cities, but that did not deter him from thinking creatively and pursuing his ideas to create a prototype. The insight displayed by this learner goes beyond the school curriculum, as he had to do a lot of research on his own. This is the calibre of learners produced by the Eskom Expo International Science Fair (ISF), and it gives our country hope for a brighter future.”
Further reading:
RS South Africa shapes future engineering talent
RS South Africa
News
RS South Africa is demonstrating that nurturing future engineers goes beyond traditional classrooms or competitions. On STEM Day, the company shone a light on the full spectrum of its educational initiatives.
Read more...
ABB and Compu-Power bring high-efficiency UPS innovation to IS3 X-Change 2025
News
ABB recently participated in the 31st annual IS
3X-Change 2025 in Cape Town, alongside its long-standing channel partner Compu-Power.
Read more...
UKZN’s SMART lab wins aviation award
News
: The SMART Lab at UKZN was awarded first place in the Aviation Research and Development category at the Civil Aviation Authority of South Africa’s award ceremony for outstanding contributions and achievements in the aviation sector.
Read more...
Meta and partners announce completion of 2Africa subsea cable system
News
Meta, in partnership with leading global and regional telecommunications companies, has announced the completion and activation of the core 2Africa subsea cable system. This marks a historic milestone in digital infrastructure, establishing what the world’s longest open-access subsea cable system.
Read more...
RS South Africa retains Level 2 B-BBEE status
RS South Africa
News
RS South Africa has once again achieved Level 2 B-BBEE verification.
Read more...
SEW-EURODRIVE unveils world class facility in Gqeberha
News
In a landmark event in the Eastern Cape attended by key customers and industry leaders, SEW-EURODRIVE officially opened its expanded state-of-the-art facility in Gqeberha, marking a major milestone in its strategy to strengthen regional support and deepen its footprint in the region.
Read more...
Africa’s brightest young battery innovators
Schneider Electric South Africa
News
Schneider Electric and Enactus, the international NGO dedicated to inspiring students through entrepreneurial action, have announced the winners of the 2025 Energy Transition Battery Innovation Challenge, funded by the Schneider Electric Foundation. It empowers young innovators to design battery solutions addressing the region’s most pressing energy challenges.
Read more...
Africa’s strategic role in powering the global clean energy future
News
The 2026 Africa Energy Indaba is to spotlight Africa’s mineral wealth, industrialisation potential and the urgent need for sustainable value chain development.
Read more...
The road to the Indaba
News
The Africa Automation Indaba 2026 is set to become a landmark gathering for Africa’s automation, process control and manufacturing community.
SA Instrumentation and Control will be running a dedicated editorial series spotlighting the voices, ideas and debates shaping Africa’s industrial future.
Read more...
Crash reconstruction tests advance vehicle safety research
News
The University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Scientific Multidisciplinary Advanced Research Technologies (SMART) Lab recently participated in a series of collaborative crash reconstruction tests held at the Toyota Test Track.
Read more...
printer friendly version