Young mathematicians across South Africa are being called to put their skills to the test and challenge themselves by entering the third yearly Gibela-WeSolve4x Maths Competition 2026.

This initiative is aimed at making mathematics exciting, practical and rewarding for learners in Grades 4 to 7.

The competition, presented by rail transport consortium Gibela Rail Transport Consortium and nonprofit company WeSolve4x, will take place over two rounds, with the first round scheduled for October 10 and the final round on November 14.

The competition is designed to go beyond testing learners on what they know, and encourages them to think critically, explore different ways of solving problems and develop the confidence to approach mathematics as a subject of discovery rather than fear.

For this year’s competition, Grade 5 learners will write the competition by hand at Nigel Primary School, in Gauteng, while Grade 4, 6 and 7 learners will participate online through the WeSolve4x App.

“We want learners to discover that mathematics is not simply about getting the right answer in a classroom. It is about curiosity, creativity, persistence and learning how to solve problems.

Through the Gibela-WeSolve4x Maths Competition, we are creating an environment where young learners can test themselves, learn from others and begin to see the possibilities that mathematics can unlock for their future,” says WeSolve4x CEO Tsiestsi Ngobese.

The impact of the competition is reflected in the experiences of learners who participated in 2025, with learner Nondumiso Khoza, who made it to the Top 2 in the 2025 competition, reflecting that the experience exposed her to concepts and approaches that complemented what she was learning at school.

“Yes, the WeSolve4x Maths competition helped a lot, because there are some other things we did not learn at my actual school that I got to learn about at the WeSolve4x maths competition,” Khoza says.

For learner Jayden Tshabalala, who made it to the Top 5, the competition helped him identify areas where he needed to improve while exposing him to alternative approaches to solving mathematical problems.

“The competition has helped me with maths, mainly pointing out areas in which I have to pay more attention to and figuring out other methods to work out questions.

“It’s good not just for understanding maths but to encourage creativity, to always strive to solve a problem,” Tshabalala says.

Gibela and WeSolve4x have previously connected high-performing learners with the company's rail manufacturing environment, helping them understand how mathematical thinking contributes to train design, manufacturing and other technical fields.

Moreover, Gibela says this partnership also reflects its commitment to supporting education, skills development and the development of young talent.

“At Gibela, we believe that building South Africa’s future is about more than manufacturing trains. It is about investing in the people and skills that will drive our country forward.

“Mathematics is fundamental to engineering, innovation and problem-solving, and through our partnership with WeSolve4x we are proud to encourage young learners to develop these skills from an early age,” Gibela corporate services and traction motors executive Dr Buyiswa Mncono-Liwani says.