The National Skills Competition 2025, hosted on 8–9 October 2025, brought together South Africa’s brightest technical minds as learners, teachers and TVET students from all nine provinces competed in a national showcase of skill, determination, and passion.
Organised in partnership with the Sasol Foundation, the Department of Basic Education (DBE), the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), and the Kagiso Trust, the competition highlighted disciplines such as welding, machining, electronics, electrical systems, plumbing, construction, and design, skills that form the backbone of South Africa’s economy and communities.
For many learners, this was a first step onto a national stage, transforming nervousness into confidence and ambition. Teachers were celebrated not just as mentors, but as competitors, proving that their technical mastery continues to inspire excellence in classrooms and workshops alike. For TVET students, the event was a bridge between learning and industry readiness, a moment to showcase the potential that lies within South Africa’s vocational education sector.
“The National Skills Competition is not just about medals — it is about building futures,” said Tshamani Mathebula, Head of Sasol Foundation. “Through the Sasol Foundation, we have proudly invested in this initiative since 2018 because we believe in equipping young people, empowering teachers, and strengthening the pipeline of artisans and innovators South Africa urgently needs.”
The competition also challenges perceptions, reminding South Africans that technical and vocational skills are not ‘second best’, but central to growth, innovation and opportunity. It aligns with the country’s three-stream education model and the National Development Plan 2030 target of producing 30,000 artisans annually.
Manie Bohoff, a learner from Mpumalanga, HTS Middleburg, shared, “standing on that stage showed me that my hands can build more than just projects, they can build my future. This competition reminded me that skills are power, and that every young person has something valuable to offer South Africa.”
As the 2025 competition concludes, Sasol Foundation and its partners celebrate not only the winners, but every participant whose courage, creativity and determination reflect the true spirit of South Africa’s future.
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