Earlier this month, four young South African scientists had the opportunity to showcase their work at the prestigious Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) in Columbus, Ohio in the USA.
The young South African scientists who were selected to participate at the Regeneron ISEF this year were, clockwise from left: Binyameen (Bini) Mohamedy, Salusiwe Mxayiya, Ismaail (Miles) Hassen, and Naveera Chana.
The selected winners from the Eskom Expo for Young Scientists competition shared their winning research projects, which reflect the innovation, scientific curiosity, and global competitiveness among the country’s young scientists.
Regeneron ISEF 2025 is the world’s largest pre-college science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) competition. It was held from 10 to 16 May this year, the year in which ISEF celebrates its 75th anniversary, and featured research projects from more than 1 800 learners in grades 9 to 12 from nearly every state in the USA and more than 60 countries, regions and territories around the world.
The young South African scientists, from Johannesburg and Cape Town, were accompanied to the competition in Ohio by Eskom Expo’s Mpumalanga Provincial Coordinator, Innocent Marume.
The learners and their projects
The learners included:
- Ismaail (Miles) Hassen, 17, from Grade 11 at Greenside High School, Johannesburg
- Salusiwe Mxayiya, 17, from Grade 12 at Luhlaza High School. Cape Town
- Naveera Chana, 14, from Grade 9, Tesseract Homeschool, Johannesburg
- Binyameen (Bini) Mohamedy, 18, from Grade 12 at UJ Metropolitan Academy, Gauteng South.
Ismaail (Miles) Hassen presented his project titled: Design and evaluation of Walk-Man: A wearable assistive device for enhanced navigation in individuals with visual impairment. In this project, Miles developed an innovative and affordable assistive technology for the visually impaired. It is compact, easy to wear, and performs just as well as much more expensive alternatives. Compared to traditional white canes, the Walk-Man is equipped with features like real-time obstacle detection, GPS tracking, and tactile or audio feedback. These features help users navigate their surroundings safely and with confidence, making the Walk Man a great option for those looking to maintain their independence.
Salusiwe Mxayiya, presented her project titled: Investigating the infection rates of Hector’s lantern fish (Lampanyctodes hectoris) by the copepod parasite (Cardiodectes bellotti) and the implications for population dynamics. The research conducted offers groundbreaking insights into the population dynamics of marine species impacted by parasitic infection. The findings showed that lantern fish infected by the copepod parasite had significantly lower body mass. Salusiwe has been collaborating with the South African Environmental Observation Network (SAEON) and the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment to advance her project, a reflection of her curiosity and environmental stewardship.
Naveera Chana presented her project titled: Design of a low-cost in-situ gas exchange system for CO2 assimilation and photosynthesis measurements. In the project, Naveera developed a prototype that measured up to commercial photosynthesis systems. She aimed to make scientific research tools friendly and accessible for students, researchers, and environmentalists everywhere. Naveera’s invention tackles a significant issue in plant sciences: the high cost and limited availability of traditional gas exchange systems. These systems are crucial for studying how plants respond to changes in their environment, but traditional systems are often very expensive and technically challenging to use.
Binyameen (Bini) Mohamedy, shared his project titled: On a conjecture on recursive prime generating functions. Bini’s project reinforces the importance of nurturing mathematical curiosity and innovation among youth. His approach simplifies the existing framework by constructing new proofs that rely on more approachable mathematical assumptions. His findings suggest that the sequences indeed yield only prime numbers and that they contain infinitely many distinct primes.
Chief Executive Officer of the Eskom Development Foundation (Acting), Ms Mologadi Motshele, said: “The Regeneron ISEF is a highly competitive science fair, known for showcasing cutting-edge projects in fields such as artificial intelligence and robotics. The inclusion of South African learners this year highlights the international calibre of local research at school level. Eskom wishes the four participants the very best as they compete against top young scientists from around the world. We remain steadfast in our commitment to developing the next generation of scientists and engineers through the annual Eskom Expo.”
Academic Director of Eskom Expo, Dr Krishnie Naidoo, said: “The research done by the four participants is an indication that the youth in South Africa are indeed responding to the needs of our time: sustainability, environmental concerns, and inclusivity of differently abled persons. Research in theoretical mathematics done by learners while still in high school tells us that there are no limits to what young people are capable of when given opportunities. Our talented young scientists are an inspiration to all and are helping shape the STEM landscape of our country.”
Eskom Expo’s District Expos for this year are currently under way in all provinces across the country. School learners in Grades 4 to 12 and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) students NC(V) Level 2 to NC(V) Level 4 can register their research projects via the website: www.exposcience.co.za
