Eskom Expo for Young Scientists Returns to the South Coast

The Eskom Expo for Young Scientists is returning to KwaZulu-Natal, with district expos set to begin across various parts of the South Coast in the coming weeks.

These district expos play an important role in encouraging more learner participation while helping improve the quality of science research projects before they move on to the regional science fairs later in the year.

Several South Coast areas will host the expos, including Umzinto, Zwelibanzi, Amawushe, St Faiths, Port Shepstone, Ugu, Dulati, Kayeka, Entsikeni and Gamalakhe, with Umkomaas also included further north.

The district expos are the first compulsory stage for learners who want to take part in the national science fair programme. They give students the chance to present their research projects to trained district selectors and receive valuable feedback on their work.

The evaluation teams include Eskom Expo coordinators, regional science fair directors, teachers and mentors from science, technology, engineering, mathematics and innovation sectors. Their role is to help learners strengthen their projects by identifying mistakes in research methods, experimental design and data analysis, while also pointing out areas where more information or improvement may be needed.

This process helps learners sharpen their critical thinking and problem-solving skills while preparing them for higher levels of competition. The strongest projects from the district expos will be selected to advance to the regional science fairs, which are scheduled to begin across the country from July.

The programme continues to offer young people an important platform to explore real-world challenges through research and innovation. It also gives learners the opportunity to develop confidence in presenting their ideas and solutions in front of experts and judges.

Students who would like to participate are encouraged to ensure their research projects are either completed or close to completion so they can receive guidance and final improvements before judging.

Parents, teachers and learners can register for the upcoming district expos through the official Eskom Expo website, where full details about participation and event dates are available.