The Department of Basic Education (DBE) celebrates Team South Africa's outstanding achievement at the Inaugural Spelling Bee World Cup, held in Shanghai, People's Republic of China, from 14 to 19 July 2026.
Competing against learners from more than 20 countries across Africa, Asia, Europe and North America, South Africa secured an impressive fourth-place overall finish during its debut appearance at the prestigious international competition. The result builds on SA’s success as Overall African Champion at the 8th African Spelling Bee Championships and confirms the country's growing reputation for excellence in literacy development.
The six-member national team represented five provinces: George van Wyngaard (Gauteng), Ashton Singh (KwaZulu-Natal), Xilombe Xivuri (Limpopo), Mbulelo Tolom (North West), and Ifeoma Osondo and Rhyle Adams (Western Cape). The learners demonstrated exceptional resilience and academic excellence throughout the competition. Two South African participants finished in the top ten of the Senior Division, whilst all six learners successfully progressed beyond the competition's artificial intelligence-enabled preliminary assessment, highlighting their strong literacy skills and readiness to engage with technology-driven educational innovation.
The delegation was led by the DBE in partnership with the A Better Africa Foundation, whose collaboration has been instrumental in strengthening South Africa's National Spelling Bee Programme as part of the Department's broader literacy promotion efforts.
In her opening remarks, the DBE’s Deputy Director-General for Delivery and Support, Ms Simoné Geyer, reaffirmed the Department's credence that reading and spelling are fundamental to personal development and national progress. She emphasised that the National Spelling Bee Programme extends beyond competition by developing learners' literacy, confidence, resilience, and character, whilst creating opportunities for participation from local to international level. She also highlighted the value of international partnerships in expanding educational collaboration and learner development.
Beyond the competition, the World Cup provided valuable opportunities for knowledge exchange with education leaders and literacy organisations from around the world. The delegation explored international approaches to literacy promotion, learner development, and the increasing role of artificial intelligence in education. Engagements with organisers, participating countries and South African diplomatic representatives further strengthened international cooperation in support of literacy and education.
The achievement in Shanghai represents another significant milestone in the Department's efforts to institutionalise the National Spelling Bee Programme as a flagship literacy initiative. Building on success at both continental and global levels, the Department remains committed to expanding the programme across all nine provinces to provide more learners with opportunities to develop reading, spelling and communication skills.
South Africa's fourth-place finish is a testament to the talent, determination and potential of its learners and demonstrates the impact of strategic partnerships that place literacy at the centre of educational development. The accomplishment serves as an inspiration for learners across the country to pursue excellence through reading and lifelong learning.