The 2026 National Skills Competition asked Grade 10 and 11 learners to show what they could do with what they’d learned in class. Across 11 disciplines, from electronics and digital systems to welding and plumbing, they were tested on practical work that required accuracy and safe working methods.
The national final in Johannesburg brought together 151 learners and 77 teachers from all nine provinces, after more than 17,000 learners took part in qualifying rounds. The competition is organised by the Sasol Foundation and Kagiso Trust with the Department of Basic Education and industry partners, and includes a parallel competition for teachers.
Putting these disciplines in the same programme gives a fuller picture of what working in technology can involve. There’s room for a learner who enjoys designing something on a computer and one who wants to work with machinery. Often, their work will depend on each other: a design on a screen eventually has to become something somebody can build.
Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube addressed the status attached to these careers at the awards ceremony. “These skills are not second-tier careers. They are essential careers,” she said, arguing that technical and vocational work deserves the same respect as professions such as medicine and engineering.
Describing vocational education as a fallback does learners a disservice. Someone who’s good at practical work should be able to pursue it because it interests them, without being made to feel they’ve settled for less. Recognising that ability while they’re still at school gives them a chance to see where it could take them.
The learner winners
The results show first-place finishes across five provinces. These are the learner winners in each of the 11 categories:
| Category | Winner | Province |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | Lindokuhle Makhalemele | Free State |
| Plumbing | Wian Swanepoel | Mpumalanga |
| Woodworking | Johannes Jacobus Fourie | Free State |
| Computer-aided design | Mark Altson | KwaZulu-Natal |
| Engineering graphics and design | Cobus Verster | Gauteng |
| Digital systems | Brayden Chetty | KwaZulu-Natal |
| Electronics | Jack Maclear | Western Cape |
| Power systems | Sama Lior | Gauteng |
| Automotive | Janco Kellerman | Western Cape |
| Fitting and machining | Edward Prinsloo | Mpumalanga |
| Welding and metalwork | HP Prinsloo | Free State |
Teachers competed in the same disciplines. Neil Thomson from Bellville Technical High School won electronics, while Rishendran Moodley from George Campbell won digital systems. At HTS Middelburg, Edward Prinsloo won the learner category for fitting and machining, and Aubrey De Jager took first place in the teacher category.
Including teachers makes sense when so much of this work depends on practical instruction. Learners need someone who can spot a mistake, explain why it matters and help them get it right. Kagiso Trust chief executive Dr Mankodi Moitse emphasised the role teachers and mentors play in helping young people discover what they’re good at and develop it.
The Department of Basic Education’s work on Schools of Specialisation shows what supporting this kind of teaching involves. The department identifies infrastructure and equipment as continuing challenges, alongside the need for practical training and partnerships with industry. A learner needs access to a properly equipped workshop well before they can enter a national competition.
What happens after the awards
Category winners received cash vouchers, tools and online courses. The competition also connected learners with industry partners who supplied equipment and judging expertise.
The programme began in 2018 as a partnership between the Sasol Foundation and the Free State Department of Education. Kagiso Trust joined in 2022 and introduced the teacher component; the competition expanded to five provinces in 2023 before becoming national in 2024.
Getting learners this far is an achievement, although a school competition can only take them through part of the journey. We’ve seen similar difficulties in South Africa’s cybersecurity industry, where employers need experienced people but newcomers struggle to find work that lets them gain that experience.
Construction participant Simthandile Mkwanazi was awarded an apprenticeship from Resolution Circle worth R250,000, which is a substantial opportunity for someone still at school. We don’t yet know what opportunities the other finalists will have once they finish matric, or how many of the employers involved will offer them a place to train.