• A South African team has taken a top spot in Huawei’s annual Global ICT Competition.
• The winning team features students and graduates from the University of Johannesburg (UJ) and University of KwaZulu Natal (UKZN).
• At the Grand Final, they were one of 146 teams from 36 countries and regions competing in the major prize categories.

In a big win for South Africa’s tertiary education sector, a local team has taken a spot at the Huawei Global ICT Competition for 2022-2023.

The annual event, which is aimed at driving the development of ICT talent for industry growth and digital transformation according to Huawei, held its Global Final in Shenzhen recently, where SA’s winning team included students and graduates from the University of Johannesburg (UJ), and the University of KwaZulu Natal (UKZN).

After competing among tens of thousands of students from across Sub-Saharan Africa, as well as globally, at the Grand Final, SA’s team were one of 146 others from 36 countries and regions competing in the major prize categories. 

“Huawei sent 19 teams from 8 countries in Sub Saharan Africa, made up of 76 students, to the Global Final competition,” the company explains in a press release sent to Hypertext. “Teams from South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria reached the top of the various categories of the competition. This showing is a milestone for the ICT Academy program in the Sub Saharan Africa region,” it added.

“In order to reach the Global Final, the South African team had to progress through national and regional finals. Neither of those is a small feat, given that 16,742 students from the Southern Africa region registered for the 2022-2023 ICT competition,” the release continued.

The students and graduates who made up the winning SA team seemingly welcomed the unpredictable nature of the competition, particularly as it presented a learning opportunity along with being a challenge to their skillsets.

“The calibre of technology and expertise at the competition has given me new insights into both the power of tech and the scenarios I’m likely to face in the workplace. Having that kind of knowledge at the start of my career will prove incredibly beneficial,” explained UKZN graduate and team leader, Lutho Sigidi.

“At the outset, I had literally no knowledge of networking engineering, so I had to start from scratch while also balancing my university studies. The experience has taught me that anything is possible, especially if you give it your all,” added UJ student, Terry-Anne Fredericks.

Well done to the winning team, and here’s hoping their futures in the UCT sector are now solidified following this achievement.

[Images – Provided]