- Salusiwe Mxayiya, a 17-year-old Grade 11 learner from Luhlaza High School in Khayelitsha, won a gold medal, laptop and cash prize at the Eskom Expo for Young Scientists International Science Fair.
- Her project investigated the population dynamics and infection rates of Hector’s lantern fish, highlighting ecological and economic impacts and the need for sustainable fishing practices.
- Salusiwe credited her mentors, teacher Zizipho Mdikasi and others, for support and encouraged fellow learners to explore science opportunities.
Luhlaza High School learner Salusiwe Mxayiya is one of the category winners at this year’s Eskom Expo for Young Scientists, in the process winning a laptop for her school, a gold medal and a cash prize.
The 17-year-old Grade 11 learner came up against scores of budding scientists from South Africa and the rest of the world at this year’s Eskom Expo International Science Fair (“Luhlaza learner on international stage” City Vision 19 September).
The five-day expo, from Monday 23 to Friday 27 September, was hosted at the Convention Centre at Emperors Palace in Kempton Park, Johannesburg. It brought together the brightest young scientists worldwide.
Contestants squared up in different categories in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Innovation (STEMI).
The event strived to celebrate the innovative work and achievements of tomorrow’s leaders by showcasing their contributions to advancing knowledge and solving real-world challenges.
From the humble beginnings of Khayelitsha, Salusiwe walked away with the best development project, beating challengers from some of the best schools in the country and the world.
She was presented this award for investigating the population dynamics and infection rates of Hector’s lantern fish (Lampanyctodes hectoris) – a common species found along the west coast of South Africa. She collected 500 samples from across various locations in the Southern Benguela area.
Her study highlights the negative ecological and economic impacts of the parasite, emphasizing the need for the Department of Forestry and Fisheries to consider reducing allowable catches to prevent further depletion of the lantern fish population.
An elated Salusiwe told City Vision she was overwhelmed by the achievement. While she had confidence in herself leading up to the Expo, that all dissipated when she arrived at Kempton Park.
“When I saw other people, I had doubts. I felt pressure, but I did not disappoint anyone. My competitor was from Russia and I did not see myself winning because she came from another country with all the resources,” said Salusiwe.
She praised all her mentors, including her teacher Zizipho Mdikasi, Julia Watson (Eskom expo mentor); Yonela Geja ( from the Department of Forestry Fisheries and Environment), Thomas Mtontsi (from the South African Environmental Observation Network (SAEON), a long-term environmental observation and research facility of the National Research Foundation (NRF) and her classmates.
Salusiwe said in February this year, she attended the SAEON Women in Science workshop and was amazed by what she saw. She was exposed to marine biology and was inspired to venture into the research.
According to her, less attention is given to marine biology. “I am a curious person by nature and it was out of curiosity and love for science that I started this project,” she said.”I was amazed by the information at my disposal at the time.”
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As the project did not form part of her curriculum, she had to strike an excellent balance between it and her studies. “It was one of the toughest things but I had a lot of support from my classmates,” shared Salusiwe.
She appealed to other learners to take their chances. “There are many opportunities in science. It is about finding a gap and being willing to say ‘yes’ and take full advantage of the gap”.
Mdikasi described Salusiwe as a “diligent and passionate” learner who is “eager to learn”. “I am very proud of her more than just being excited. She was able to balance her school work and this project. “She has put our school on the map if I can say that. Remember there were children from other countries there,” said Mdikasi.
