Minister of Basic Education, Ms Siviwe Gwarube, praised the Sasol Foundation and Kagiso Trust for joining the Department of Basic Education (DBE) in promoting the Three Stream Model in the Basic Education Sector. Minister Gwarube delivered her keynote address at the National Skills Competition Awards Ceremony held at the Birchwood Hotel and OR Tambo Conference Centre in Boksburg on 2 October 2026. The event was organised in recognition of the excellent vocational skills showcased by learners and teachers in their respective areas of specialisation, including Engineering Graphics and Design (EGD); Civil Technology: Construction, Woodworking; Electrical Technology: Digital and Electronics; Mechanical Technology: Welding, Fitting and Machining and many more.
Ms Elspeth Khembo, Director for MST, Curriculum Innovation and E-Learning, acknowledged the investment made by the Sasol Foundation and Kagiso Trust towards the establishment of the National Skills Competition, adding that it will go a long way in maximising resources in technical schools across all nine provinces. She thanked Minister Gwarube for her leadership in ensuring that the private sector’s intervention support was aligned with the priorities of the 7th Administration, especially the foundational learning and teachers’ development and training in various disciplines.
Minister Gwarube, together with members of executives from the Sasol Foundation and Kagiso Trust, officiated the prize giving session during the Awards Ceremony. These included Sasol Executive Vice President, People, Risk SHE and Corporate Affairs, Ms Thabile Makgala; CEO of Kagiso Trust, Dr Mankodi Moitse; Head of Sasol Foundation, Ms Tshamani Mathebula; and Vice Presidents and Senior Managers at Sasol Foundation. The winners walked away with Takealot and PNA vouchers and online courses, toolboxes and tools for specific subjects, and drawing instruments and boards.
“These prizes were aimed at providing participants with resources and opportunities to further develop their technical competencies and prepare for future education, training, and employment opportunities. Let me take this opportunity and congratulate Ms Simthandile Mkwanazi, the winner in the Construction category, who received an apprenticeship opportunity valued at R250,000 from Resolution Circle. This award demonstrates the extent to which the competition can create pathways from school-based technical education into further training and the world of work, said the National Coordinator for the Sasol National Skills Competition at the DBE, Ms Desiree Letshwiti.
In her address, Minister Gwarube said that the Sasol-Kagiso Trust National Skills Competition enabled the Basic Education Sector to celebrate something fundamental to the future of South Africa: the dignity, value and power of skills. “We often speak about the future of our economy in terms of technology, investment, infrastructure and innovation. But behind every factory, power station, mine, construction project and every new technology, there are people with skills. Skills to build, to repair to design. Skills to operate complex machinery. And people who can take knowledge and turn it into something that works in the real world”. She further indicated that curriculum diversification was crucial in ensuring learners were prepared to meet the demands in the changing world.
“We need young people who possess technical competence and who also have problem-solving ability, adaptability, communication skills, teamwork and a willingness to keep learning. This is why competitions such as the Sasol-Kagiso Trust National Skills Competition are so important. They provide young people with an opportunity to demonstrate what happens when knowledge meets practice. A textbook can explain a principle. A classroom can teach a process. But a skilled person must ultimately be able to apply that knowledge accurately, safely and efficiently. That transition from knowing what to do, to being able to demonstrate how to do it is at the heart of skills development,” added Minister Gwarube.