Phodisho Samuel Maganyela, a 15-year-old, Grade 10 learner from Lesedi Secondary School in the Tshwane District, in Bronkhorstspruit, has claimed top honours in the 2025 Bokamoso Creative Essay Competition, recently held in Klipspruit, Gauteng, where he impressed judges with his imaginative and practical solutions that empower youth-driven sustainability efforts.
Maganyela’s standout essay explored how young minds can engineer sustainable solutions addressing South Africa’s pressing challenges. His visionary ideas, grounded in creativity and science, technology, education and mathematics (STEM) principles, underscore the vital role tomorrow’s engineers and thinkers will play in shaping a sustainable future.
Hosted by Knight Piésold, on 13 October 2025, in partnership with the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE), the Bokamoso Creative Essay Competition invited Grade 10 and 11 learners from no-fee and government-funded schools to submit essays on the theme, “Innovating for Impact: How Young Minds Can Engineer a Sustainable South Africa.” Essays were judged on originality, creativity and relevance to issues such as energy and water security, infrastructure development, waste management and equitable access to education.
The initiative forms part of Knight Piésold’s ongoing commitment to nurturing young talent, advancing access to quality STEM education and inspiring learners to become agents of change in their communities. “This competition showcases the incredible creativity and potential of South Africa’s youth. Each essay reflects a deep awareness of the challenges we face as a nation and an inspiring determination to engineer positive change,” Vishal Haripersad, MD of Knight Piésold Southern Africa, noted.
Mentorship, he adds, has always been central to Knight Piésold’s culture and a reflection of how the company grows its talent. “This competition is an extension of these values, allowing us to support and nurture young thinkers long before they reach university or enter the workplace,” he highlighted.
Celebrating Gauteng’s Top Young Innovators
Paballo Kutumela from Lofentse Girls High School in the Johannesburg South District, in Soweto took second place, followed by Nomhle Msiza from Khutlo-Tharo School of Specialisation in the Sedibeng District, in Sebokeng, in third place.
Zinhle Ndebele from Curtis Nkondo School of Specialisation, and Hloniphile Dube from Eldomaine Secondary School, both from the Johannesburg South District, were recognised in fourth and fifth positions respectively.
Crescentia Ngwenya, a representative from the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) – Strategic Partnership Division said: “The GDE prioritises STEM education as a driver of innovation, economic growth, and global competitiveness. In alignment with this vision, the Knight Piésold Bokamoso Creative Writing Competition challenges learners to apply creativity and critical thinking to real-world STEM issues, ensuring that young voices help shape sustainable solutions for South Africa’s future.”
Minister in the first post-apartheid cabinet of President Nelson Mandela, Jay Naidoo, an advocate for the Bokamoso Creative Essay Competition, relays his inspiration to students : “The Bokamoso Creative Essay Competition reminds us that the future is not written in the clouds, it is being written in your hands, your hearts, and your ideas today. True education is not only about passing exams or mastering technology. It is about learning how to live ethically, with empathy, humility, and courage. The engineers, scientists, and leaders we need are those who understand that progress without compassion is hollow. Each of you carries a spark of genius, but also a responsibility: to use your gifts in service to others, to the Earth, and to the generations that will follow.”
Where Creativity Meets Engineering
Since its inception, the Bokamoso Creative Essay Competition has reached hundreds of learners across Gauteng, supporting both academic and infrastructural development in under-resourced schools. Beyond recognising individual excellence, the initiative contributes to long-term education upliftment by providing schools with resources to enhance learning environments in STEM-related subjects.
Through partnerships like these, Knight Piésold and the GDE continue to demonstrate the transformative potential of collaboration between industry and education, ensuring that the next generation of engineers, scientists, and innovators is equipped to lead South Africa.
“We have to take a holistic view of South Africa’s education system and recognise that real change starts early. By investing in learners at school level and planting the seed of curiosity, innovation, and confidence, we can empower young minds with knowledge and imagination which is key to building a sustainable future for all,” Haripersad concluded.
