UWC Acting Rector and Vice-Chancellor Professor Matete Madiba. Image: SuppliedThe opening ceremony of the Mega Maths Festival 2025 at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) demonstrated just how much fun and transformative mathematics can be for learners, students and educators.
The inaugural five-day national festival is an initiative of the Department of Higher Education & Training (DHET), with the generous support of the European Union (EU), which is being hosted by UWC in partnership with the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) South Africa. The theme for the Mega Maths Festival 2025 is Mathematics: Our 13th National Language.
Welcoming delegates – which included learners, educators, students, industry leaders, researchers and policymakers from across the country – UWC Acting Rector and Vice-Chancellor Professor Matete Madiba told the gala dinner at the Jakes Gerwel Hall: “I believe this is a big vision and I personally espouse it. The vision to help us understand that mathematics is our 13th language in South Africa.
“When I heard of the theme, I started to imagine future generations who won’t be intimidated by mathematics, who won’t shy away and believe mathematics is not for them. Just like learning one’s mother tongue, any language can be acquired; it is just a matter of how much exposure you have or are availing yourself to.”
Dr Nkosinathi Sishi, Director-General of the DHET, said being in a hall named after the late Professor Jakes Gerwel should serve as an inspiration to all those in attendance.
“We would like to explore and share best practices in maths education at all levels. We hope by the end of the festival we would have addressed gaps and variations in mathematics curriculum for teacher education across institutions, hopefully illuminating the interconnection between mathematics and employment and enhancing teachers’ professional development, refining the quality of mathematics teaching and learning and building capacity within the mathematics education landscape,” he said.
“Fostering national strategic and equitable partnerships in mathematics education and hopefully model the good practice of teaching mathematics and showcasing cutting edge learner and student engagement: it is a big goal for the festival, but if we do not dream big we're not worthy to be here and to be leading education.”
Dr Rejoyce Gavhi-Molefe, Lead Manager for AIMS South Africa, also shared her organisation's dream: “Our big dream is about reimagining strategic alignments of mathematics education across our national system. We believe mathematics is the driver of progress.
“However, for mathematics to really play a pivotal role, it must be intentionally cultivated from foundation learning in schools to advanced innovation in higher education and industry. This week the Mega Maths Festival presents us with a parallel opportunity - a unified national platform to engage, to reflect, and act collectively. For us at AIMS this is more than just a conference. It is an opportunity to strategically link policy, teaching, learning and research at levels within the realm of mathematics.”
In her address, Professor Renaku Vithal, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Teaching & Learning at the University of Fort Hare, shared how research showed the importance of scientific calculators in mathematics education. Yet, many lacked access to it.
The opening set the tone for the week-long deliberations and discussions to truly make Maths the 13th national language.
