By inventing a smart system that monitors your home’s energy use, a 17-year-old Empangeni girl has won a million rand, three year engineering apprenticeship in Germany.
Rita Nkuhlu (Siemens), Sinenhlahla Dlamini, Sabine Dall’Omo (Siemens)
Sinenhlahla Dlamini from Ongoye High developed a system which monitors energy use in homes. The system monitors geysers, heaters and stoves, reducing energy use and preventing fires.
Dlamini, who will graduate from high school at the end of the year, is interested in physics and machinery.
“It’s so overwhelming,” said Dlamini, whose science teacher rushed on stage with her when the announcement was made. “It’s like I’ve been given a whole new life – the next three years will completely change my world.”
The youngest of five, Dlamini had applied to South African universities to study radiology, but is excited about the new adventure.
“I can’t wait to get home and tell my parents.”
This is part of R1,5m in bursaries and prizes awarded to future SA engineers by Siemens, which is helping to tackle SA’s critical shortage of engineering talent.
The prizes were awarded at the Eskom Expo for Young Scientists, which attracts high school pupils to showcase their inventions in categories including energy, engineering and transport. More than half the participants at the Expo this year were girls.
Siemens’ grand prize awarded to Sinenhlanhla Dlamini was an all-expenses-paid 3.5-year apprenticeship programme in Berlin, Germany, valued at a million rand. The all-inclusive training programme is held at the Werner-von-Siemens Vocational School and the Siemens Professional Education Lab in Berlin.
The current intake of Siemens apprentices – Kelly Moorosi, Joseph Shandlale and Hendri Meintjies – are the first South Africans to be part of this programme. They have been in Germany for 3 months.
“Siemens is rooted in engineering innovation and we recognise the need to support South Africa’s future engineers and scientists,” says Siemens SA CEO Sabine Dall’Omo. “It’s important that we nurture young curious minds so they can develop the solutions to our challenges in energy, transport and infrastructure.”
Siemens also presented three engineering bursaries worth R60 000 each for students to study electrical or mechanical engineering at a South African university.
The students are Kgoale Delton Rathoakga from Mohumi Secondary in Mopani, Lawrence John van Staden from St Dominic’s Academy and Ngcebo Thusi from Newcastle High.
Other Siemens-sponsored prizes include laptops and science kits with equipment for Grade 11 and Grade 12 learners to conduct science experiments.
