Reddam House Ballito hosted the 2025 KZN Ballito Regional Coding and Robotics event on October 25, bringing together seven schools and 14 teams to compete in the FIRST LEGO League (FLL) Challenge and Explore divisions.

The regional competition forms part of a global STEM initiative designed to inspire young people to explore coding, engineering, and real-world problem-solving through themed annual challenges. Successful teams from each regional event advance to one of two national championships held in Gauteng and the Western Cape – with national winners earning the opportunity to represent South Africa at the international finals.

Although Reddam House Ballito’s own team did not progress to the nationals this year, tournament director for FIRST Robotics SA and coding & robotics teacher, Shikhar Singh, praised the pupils’ dedication and growth.

“Our robotics club is fairly new, with teams improving year after year and soon enough they will be making their way to Nationals. It just takes time, effort, practice and some patience,” said Singh.

Since joining the FIRST LEGO League program in 2023, Reddam House Ballito has steadily expanded its robotics club, with pupils showing remarkable progress each season. Hosting the regional event has also encouraged greater participation from nearby Durban schools, highlighting the growing interest in STEM education across KwaZulu-Natal.

The FIRST LEGO League included three divisions: Discover (ages 4–6), Explore (ages 6–10) and Challenge (ages 9–16).

“All these events are not possible without volunteers, and we cannot stress enough the amount of work and care from FIRST® volunteers who make these competitions run effortlessly,” said Singh.

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