'She would have been proud': maths prodigy dedicates win to mom

A mathematics prodigy has dazzled the SA Mathematics Olympiad (Samo) with his innovative approach to problem-solving.

Emmanuel Rassou, a grade 11 learner from the South African College High School in Cape Town, received a gold medal and was declared the overall winner of the senior division of the Old Mutual Samo on Saturday.

Speaking to TimesLIVE, Rassou said he was still in shock that he got such recognition.

“To be declared a winner is unbelievable, the competition was tough with different sets of tests that required different and innovative ways of tackling them.

“I would like to dedicate the medal to my late mother. I feel privileged, proud and overwhelmed. My dad jumped in joy when I was announced. I had support from my school and my teachers and friends were happy for me,” he said.

The young man said he was dedicating the medal to his late mother who “would have been proud of him”.

This nationwide competition involves more than 100,000 pupils taking part in three separate rounds with a final four-hour gruelling paper determining the senior winner for grades 10-12.

After winning the UCT mathematics competition and Die Burger maths competition a month earlier, this was the ultimate prize for Rassou.

“The margins are very small and previous competitions ended up in three-way ties which means that the margin between first, second and third is paper-thin and my fellow maths Olympians are just as deserving,” he said.

He is also proud of his younger brother Noah who ranked second in the primary version of the maths competition — showing that the maths gene runs in the family.

“Maths is in everything around us, and the ability to master numbers allows us all to improve our personal lives and later improve our chances of finding jobs, especially in the digital economy.”

Rassou's dream is to meet international business magnate Elon Musk and to travel to Mars in one of the SpaceX rockets.

“I want an innovative career path and to help people across the province. So far I’m doing work towards that, I am a part of a charity drive where we sponsor grade 1s who go to disadvantaged schools with uniforms and stationery.

“I thank God for always being by my side, my teachers for believing in me over the years, and I hope that I can do my part to use some of my prize winnings to make the '67 kids to school project' a success”.

Celiwe Ross, human capital director at Old Mutual congratulated the winners.

“We're exceptionally proud of all the scholars who have made it to the final round, performing exceptionally well during what has been another challenging year. Well done, you have made us all proud, and we can't wait to see you make your mark in the future,” Ross said.

TimesLIVE