The third ExxonMobil Foundation STEAM Africa Zonal Quiz competition took place on Saturday, drawing participation from various schools in the |Khomas Region. The event saw 16 teams from eight schools battling it out for a chance to advance to the Innovation Camp, a stepping stone to the continental finals in South Africa.

The quiz, part of a broader initiative to promote Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM), aims to boost learners’ mental capabilities, foster teamwork, and encourage innovative thinking.

Eldorado Secondary School emerged as the top performer, securing their place at the Innovation Camp and walking away with a cash prize of N$2,500. Dawid Bezuidenhout High School claimed second place, while Saint Paul’s College took third.

These three schools will now join six other teams in the upcoming Innovation Camp, where they will be challenged to design a prototype device aimed at solving a real-life community problem.

Ndaudika Mulundileni, CEO of the Mindsinaction STEAM Centre, highlighted the significance of the competition in broadening learners' educational experiences.

"Our wish is that we'll be able to get more partners on board so that we can be able to expand to other regions," he said. "Expose children in rural communities so that they can be able to be exposed to STEAM educational skills. That they can be able to know that learning actually does not only mean memorising or keeping the knowledge, but it actually means using that knowledge to be able to create and to be able to solve problems, real problems in our communities."

Learners advancing to the Innovation Camp will compete for a coveted spot at the finals in South Africa, where they will face off against peers from Angola, Nigeria, and Mozambique. The grand prize for the winning team at the finals is N$45,000.