Palabora Foundation robotics team to represent Limpopo
The Palabora Foundation’s robotics team placed third provincially and will represent the province at the National Robotics for Good Youth Challenge.
PHALABORWA – The Palabora Foundation has placed Ba-Phalaborwa in the spotlight once again, after being selected as one of the top three teams representing Limpopo in the upcoming National Robotics for Good Youth Challenge.
The national competition will be held in Sandton on Friday, October 31.
The foundation’s robotics team earned third place at the provincial competition hosted at the former MASTEC College in Seshego, Polokwane, on September 26.
“We are absolutely thrilled with this achievement,” said Jacob Thobejani, acting superintendent of Learner Support. “Securing third place is a significant milestone, especially after two to three years of building our robotics programme. We are incredibly proud of our learners.”
Eight learners represented Ba-Phalaborwa at the competition, impressing judges with their agricultural robot designs.
One robot was developed to plant seeds and activate irrigation systems, mimicking an excavator to distribute different seeds and trigger watering mechanisms. Another was designed to harvest fruits using colour sensors to detect ripe or spoiled produce, sorting them accordingly while leaving unripe ones untouched.
Thobejani highlighted the learners’ technical skill and creativity, noting that their process involved testing and refining the robot designs to meet the challenge requirements. “There were no major challenges during development,” he said. “Our learners focused on understanding the field and fine-tuning their code in stages.”
This achievement reflects years of the foundation’s investment in STEM education. “We actively support learners in developing a passion for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics through structured training and competitions,” Thobejani explained.
He also credited the foundation’s partnership with Unisa, which has supplied robotics kits and supported training efforts. “Their contribution has been instrumental in building strong, competitive teams,” he said.
The Ba-Phalaborwa team consists of learners from Gr 4 to 9. All learners in Gr 4 to 7 from local public schools receive robotics training, along with selected Gr 8 and 9 learners. From this group, top-performing learners are chosen to represent the region in competitions.
“Our mission is to nurture learners’ curiosity and problem-solving skills while equipping them with robotics and coding knowledge,” Thobejani added.
Looking ahead, the foundation aims to expand its robotics programme to reach more rural and under-resourced schools. “We welcome support from the Department of Education, businesses, and donors to ensure more learners benefit from this initiative,” said Thobejani.
Local businesses and organisations are invited to support the team as they prepare for the national stage. Interested sponsors can contact Elizabeth at 015 769 5070 or 060 976 8815.
