Hawston Primary School is celebrating after one of its own was named the Western Cape’s top young story writer at the Growsmart 2026 finals, held on Saturday, 24 October.

Markyle Alberts, a Grade 6 learner, won the Story Writing category with her story titled “The Day My Shadow Refused to Follow Me” – a creative tale that captured the imagination of the judges and earned her top honours among young writers from across the province.

The Growsmart Competition, now in its 16th year, is a partnership between Growthpoint Properties and the Western Cape Education Department (WCED). It promotes literacy, numeracy and creative expression among learners in Grades 4, 5 and 6, with categories in Story Writing, Literacy and Mathematics. Schools are selected by the Education Department to participate, and learners compete through multiple rounds – from practice rounds through to semi-finals and the grand final.

Story Writing is an individual competition, separate from the team-based Literacy and Mathematics events. Each entrant receives a writing toolkit and must write and illustrate a story by hand, with a minimum word count that increases by grade – 300 words for Grade 4, 400 for Grade 5, and 500 for Grade 6. Stories are judged by WCED officials according to CAPS criteria, covering creativity, structure, language and illustration.

For her first-place finish, Markyle receives educational bursary support towards her future schooling, a published copy of her winning story book, a Growsmart medal and a certificate signed by both the WCED and Growthpoint Properties. The school receives a roaming trophy engraved with her name.

Hawston Primary School celebrated the achievement with a message of pride to the entire school family: “The entire Hawston Primary School family is filled with joy and pride as we celebrate Markyle Alberts, the winner in the Story Writing Category of the WCED Growsmart Competition 2026!”

“To Markyle – well done! Your achievement reminds us that young minds can tell extraordinary stories and inspire others through their imagination. You have made your parents, your teachers and Hawston Primary School incredibly proud!”

“May this be the beginning of many more wonderful achievements. Keep dreaming, keep writing and keep believing in your God-given talents!”

The school thanked Markyle’s parents for their support and encouragement, and her teachers for “nurturing her talent, guiding her learning and helping her discover the power of her own words.”

About the Growsmart Competition

The Growsmart Educational Programme was launched in 2010 as a corporate social investment initiative of Growthpoint Properties. It runs inter-school competitions in Literacy, Story Writing and Mathematics for learners in Grades 4, 5 and 6, and is conducted in partnership with the Western Cape Education Department. Each learner may participate only once in a Growsmart competition during their lifetime. Since its launch, the programme has grown to include schools across the Western Cape, Eastern Cape and Limpopo.