MTHATHA – A Grade 8 learner from St Martin’s Private School in Mthatha is preparing to represent the Eastern Cape at the American Mathematics Olympiad (AMO) after finishing first in the national olympiad.

Paul Mkhefelele (14) will take part in the international online competition on 31 October. These competitions are hosted by the South African Mathematics Foundation (SAMF).

His coach, Fedelis Dube, said this was not the first time Paul had achieved such a top position.

“He obtained the same position when he competed in the Provincial Mental Maths Quiz Competition held in KuGompo in 2025. We entered a lot of competitions, competing with other schools, but Paul managed to show his talent. He did it through his commitment, hard work and the support he got from the school management,” said Dube.

He said their school had adopted a new approach to learning and they were confident they were moving in the right direction.

“To see Paul achieve such a top position is a testament to the hard work put into the learners. At provincial level he obtained position one, and at national level he obtained the same position.”

This year, Paul entered the Mathematics Olympiad, a national competition open to all schools in South Africa. Dube said he had excelled and finished first.

“We are hoping that Mkhefelele will again make us proud at this level. I trust that he will do well because he is a committed young man and is always there when you need him. We always do lessons even after hours. Sometimes he would wake me up at night and ask me to check if he is doing it right when he is practising maths. He has a bright future ahead.”

Dube said Paul’s problem-solving and analytical thinking skills had impressed him, and he believed Paul had the potential to excel in such competitions.

The principal of the school, Frank Adedeme Soglo, described Mkhefelele as a superhero and a very dynamic. He said he had also taught Paul from Grade 4 and that Paul had competed and outperformed other learners.

“He is doing very well. This is not a surprise. We know that he is going very far because since Grade 4 he has that competitive spirit. He concentrates on what he is doing. Others look at him as a young boy, but his brain is working so hard. We are excited because our school is flying high because of him. He must keep on moving because his future is bright. We hope he does not allow anything to distract him; if he does not, he will have a bright future,” said Soglo.

Paul said he participated in the competition because taking part in maths contests helped develop problem-solving skills, critical thinking and analytical abilities, all valuable for future academic and professional pursuits.

“I want to study Information Technology from Grade 10, but I advise my peers to love mathematics because it is a valuable subject. I encourage my peers to approach maths with curiosity and persistence, as it can be beneficial for their academic and professional growth,” he said.

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