Colin Beck

The first ever TIMCA Mathematics Challenge took place on the 13th of April 2024 in the Intabazwe Multi-purpose Hall in Harrismith in front of a rowdy and supportive crowd. 200 pupils from ten primary schools in Intabazwe and Tshiame demonstrated their mathematical skills.  Following a tight race between 3 teams, Nexus was crowned the winner with Qhubeka second and Vulindela third. 

 “Of course, every participating student is a winner in the TIMCA Mathematics Challenge,” says TIMCA director Colin beck.  “They all had to work hard to improve their maths,  a much needed skillset in South Africa. They may not have all won a trophy, but they all demonstrated skills they developed in our after-school maths programs.”

Teams made up of 20 children each  faced 90 questions.  For every 5 correct answers, they received a ball which they raced to place in clear tubes in the middle of the hall.  The team that got to 18 balls first was crowned winner.  The format enabled the crowd to follow the action and cheer on their teams.  The atmosphere in the room was more like a sporting event than a maths competition.

 TIMCA focuses on building competency in maths among school-aged children and workplace skills in children and unemployed youth.   Rhodes University by Professor Graven, Doctor Stott and a host of post graduate students developed the games-based curriculum over a period of 10 years, providing children and youth across Sout/h Africa with greater prospects for their futures. Children and young adults who acquire maths skills can gain the confidence to do just about anything.

TIMCA is working in collaboration with the Rhodes University Numeracy Chair Project to improve mathematics education in South Africa. Prof Graven and her team have developed a comprehensive set of materials that are now ready to scale. TIMCA has been using these materials for some time, and has agreed to work with the Chair in rolling out the program in Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) and Harrismith.

The collaboration brings together the strengths of both teams. The Chair is providing the use of its materials developed over the past decade, and Prof Graven is acting as an advisor to the project. She recently visited the TIMCA project in Harrismith to train TIMCA math club facilitators. TIMCA brings extensive skills in project management and the rolling out of initiatives in South African township communities.

To ensure the success of the rollout, the children on the program will be assessed regularly and feedback will be given to all of the project sponsors. This initiative will change the lives of thousands of children in some of South Africa’s poorest neighborhoods.

In spite of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, TIMCA was able to achieve outstanding results in 2021. Most of the learners who attended our Math Clubs for the entire year improved their marks by more than 10 percentage points. One child moved from 30% to 100% in their final assessment!

78.1% of our learners increased their results by more than 10 percentage points, with 7.3% achieving more than a 50 percentage points increase. 30% of our learners achieved above 70% in the final assessment.

The class average for the assessment went from 37% at the beginning of the year to 57% by the end of 2021.

TIMCA is exceptionally proud of our Harrismith Math Clubs Facilitator Hlengiwe Msibi. Hlengiwe completed her B.Ed at UNISA Cum Laude!!

TIMCA is privileged to have Hlengiwe as one of our fully-trained Math Clubs Facilitators. The Facilitators are making a difference in the lives of young children in the greater Harrismith area.

Hlengiwe has a passion for her young learners that is evident in all her clubs, and the learners she helps with basic math skills have done well under her tutelage