SA Maths Foundation (SAMF)

07/09/2026

This past weekend, primary school teachers in the Western Cape took part in the South African Mathematics Foundation’s Mathematics Problem Solving (MPS) Course, strengthening their problem-solving skills and building confidence to bring these approaches into their classrooms.

04/09/2026

Teachers and parents, help your Grades 4–7 learners prepare for the final round of the South African Mathematics Challenge (SAMC) on 10 September 2026.

Past SAMC papers are a useful way for learners to practise with real competition questions, become familiar with the type of problem solving required, and build confidence before Round 3.

Past papers can be downloaded from the SAMF website. Simply create a free account, log in, and access the available papers. Afrikaans papers are also available on request.

Give your learners the opportunity to practise, think, and prepare.

www.samf.ac.za



SAICA - The South African Institute of Chartered Accountants
AMESA

02/09/2026

The Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF) formally handed over funding to the South African Mathematics Foundation (SAMF) during an event held at the NRF-SAASTA offices in Pretoria on Tuesday afternoon, 1 September 2026.

The event was attended by representatives of the GEPF and SAMF, including Mr Musa Mabesa, the GEPF’s principal executive officer and Prof Seithuti Moshokoa, SAMF’s executive director.

SAMF will use the funding for its most recent online Mathematical Problem-Solving (MPS) Course for primary school mathematics teachers. The course, hosted in collaboration with Limina Education Services and presented by Dr Erna Lampen and Alwyn Olivier, will run from 20 August until 15 October 2026. A total of 495 teachers enrolled for the course.

Read more: https://www.samf.ac.za/en/gepf-funding-will-support-mathematics-teacher-development

Government Employees Pension Fund
Standard Bank - South Africa

31/08/2026

Another Mathematics Problem Solving Course successfully completed!

This past weekend, primary school teachers in Mpumalanga took part in the South African Mathematics Foundation’s Mathematics Problem Solving (MPS) Course, strengthening their problem-solving skills and building confidence to bring these approaches into their classrooms.

A sincere thank you to our facilitators, SAMF's Thabo Ramaboea and Pieter Lourens from SAMF's SAMC Problem Committee, for sharing their knowledge, experience, and enthusiasm throughout the course.

We also want to extend our gratitude to AMESA Mpumalanga branch for assisting with the arrangements, and last but certainly not least, to SAASTA for funding the programme.

By supporting teachers, we strengthen the foundation for learners to engage more confidently with mathematics, develop deeper reasoning skills, and enjoy the challenge of problem solving.

06/08/2026

🌟 SAMF Stakeholder Spotlight | Ansie Smit 🌟

This month, the South African Mathematics Foundation (SAMF) shines the spotlight on Ansie Smit, Secretary and Executive Committee Member of the South African Statistical Association (SASA) and a valued SAMF Board Observer.

Ansie's journey with SAMF began through the partnership between SASA and SAMF, built on a shared commitment to strengthening mathematics education in South Africa.
For Ansie, mathematics is far more than a school subject. It is the foundation upon which many scientific disciplines are built.

“Mathematics is essential in all STEM-related fields. It develops logical thinking and problem-solving abilities and is a non-negotiable for the betterment of the country.”

As a representative of SASA, she recognises the vital role SAMF plays in strengthening mathematics education and creating pathways into statistics, data science, and other STEM careers.

“The work done by SAMF provides essential support to mathematics education at school level. Statistics and other STEM-related degrees rely heavily on the foundations laid in school.”

Among SAMF's initiatives, Ansie is particularly passionate about teacher development. She believes that educators with strong mathematical knowledge and effective teaching skills are key to improving both the quality and number of learners pursuing mathematics beyond school.

Looking ahead, she is encouraged by the growing number of organisations, communities, and professional associations working together to strengthen mathematics education across South Africa.

Her message to learners and educators is both insightful and inspiring:

“Learning mathematics is an iterative process in which we test ideas, update our understanding, and gradually reduce uncertainty. Success and mistakes are both valuable data points that help us grow.”

She reminds us that every learner follows a unique journey and that progress is not about perfection, but about continuous learning and development.

SAMF thanks Ansie Smit and SASA for their ongoing support of mathematics education and their commitment to building a stronger STEM pipeline for South Africa.

30/07/2026

Today is the day! 🌟

To every learner writing the SAMO Final Round paper today: trust your preparation, think clearly and give every problem your best.

Qualifying for the final round is already an achievement worth celebrating. We wish all our finalists every success!

28/07/2026

The names of the Final Round qualifiers for the South African Mathematics Challenge (grades 4 to 7) have been announced - https://www.samf.ac.za/en/sa-maths-challenge-results. The Final Round will be written on the 10th of September.

The South African Mathematics Foundation promotes mathematics education through national competitions, teacher training, learner development, and advocacy across South Africa.

28/07/2026

SAMF promoted their competitions at SAASTA's Science Club held at the Pretoria Zoo on Saturday, 25 July.

27/07/2026

Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University (SMU) has partnered with the South African Mathematics Foundation (SAMF) to launch the Siyanqoba Mathematics Olympiad Training Programme, an initiative aimed at strengthening mathematics education and nurturing excellence among high school learners in the Tshwane region.

Read more here: https://www.smu.ac.za/2026/07/22/smu-and-samf-champion-mathematics-excellence/

26/07/2026

Add 1,000 problems to your preparation

Looking for even more practice before the SAMO Final Round?

Prof Poobhalan Pillay’s book, 1000 Mathematics Olympiad Problems, includes carefully selected problems, lessons and solutions to help learners strengthen their Olympiad skills.

Purchase your copy from the SAMF online shop:
www.samf.ac.za/en/mathematics-olympiad-problems