OLYMPIADS
Olympiads act as a bridge between secondary and tertiary education, providing learners with valuable exposure and experience in a way which is unique to this format. This is especially true for astronomy, which acts as a gateway science.
South Africa is currently involved in two astronomy-related olympiads:
- South African Astronomy Olympiad Programme
- South African Physics Olympiad
Astronomy Olympiad Programme
South Africa holds a major presence in the global Astronomy scene. Despite this, South Africa has not had a national astronomy olympiad programme, nor does it have a team to compete on an international level. The implementation of this new project aims to fill this gap, not just from a competition standpoint, but from a developmental one as well. It takes a well-rounded approach to the olympiad model, by incorporating training materials, connection with astronomers, and science-centric experiences during a science camp and science fair.
SAPhO
In 2025 the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO) partnered with the South African Institute of Physics (SAIP), to incorporate an astronomy section into the South African Physics Olympiad (SAPhO). This partnership proved to be a success, with many learners excelling in the astronomy questions. In light of these results, the partnership is continuing in SAPhO 2026.
