Southlands Secondary grade 9 pupils participated in the Global Coding and Robotics Competition and were placed in the Top five.

The all girl team of five competed against 50 other schools on an international level and were placed in fifth position. They were the only South African school to be placed in the top 5.

Rayha Naidoo,14, one of the teammates, has been coding for four years, with a strong foundation in programming languages such as Scratch, and Python. She has developed a passion for problem-solving, collaboration, and continuous learning.

“Participating in the global coding competition was an exhilarating experience for my team and me. We were thrilled to join the competition, as it provided a unique opportunity to showcase our skills, learn from others, and push ourselves beyond our limits,” said Naidoo.

The competition was online through Zoom, where teams from around the world gathered to demonstrate their coding prowess, and their skills.

“One of the hardest parts of the competition was the time constraint. With limited time to solve complex problems, we had to think critically, prioritize tasks, and work efficiently as a team. Through effective communication, collaboration, and strategic planning, we were able to overcome this challenge and deliver high-quality solutions,” said Naidoo.

She said during the competition, her team developed an innovative solution to solving the levels fast in a coding game called ‘juicy jems’.

“Our project aimed to complete all the levels in a short amount of time, and we successfully did it. Through this project, we demonstrated our ability to work together, think creatively, and develop effective solutions under pressure,” said Naidoo.

After a hard few hours of competing, they emerged fifth globally in the competition.

“We felt an overwhelming sense of pride, accomplishment, and relief. This experience taught us the importance of perseverance, teamwork, and continuous learning,” said Naidoo.

By participating in coding competitions, Naidoo aims to enhance her coding skills, expand her professional network, and contribute to innovative projects.

“I hope to leverage these experiences to pursue a career in software development and make meaningful contributions to the tech industry. I believe that increasing diversity and representation in coding is essential for driving innovation, creativity, and progress,” said Naidoo.

She said the team has discussed participating in the upcoming tournaments.

“We will be teaching and training students, who are interested in coding. And will be participating in the future competitions scheduled to take place with us. We are excited to tackle new challenges, learn from other participants, and showcase our skills in a competitive setting,” said Naidoo.

Praveena Chetty, Principal of Southlands Secondary said the school was proud of the girls achievement.

“I am thrilled about the outstanding achievements of our pupil’s exemplary performance, it not only highlights their exceptional talent but also underscores their dedication and hard work that they've invested in this cutting-edge field.

“Their achievement speaks of the incredible support of their educators and parents who play a pivotal role in contributing to their success. Their achievement is a significant milestone in our commitment to holistic education. It serves as a testament that hard work, commitment and dedication yields success,” said Chetty.