Samsung Employees Mentor South Africa’s Next Generation of Problem-Solvers Through the Solve for Tomorrow STEM-based Competition
Samsung is appreciative of the role played by its volunteer employees in the success of the 2026 Solve for Tomorrow (SFT) national competition.
They worked tirelessly with the educators – volunteering their time, skills and knowledge to help participating learners to turn pressing local community and environmental challenges into working solutions. This year, 100 learners from 20 schools across South Africa took part in this unique, global competition and their mentors were central to the journey.
Each year, Samsung employees volunteer as mentors, helping learners keep their STEM-based projects on track over a six-to-nine-month journey from initial idea to working prototype. Recently, we spoke to three of this year’s mentors about what drove them and what they’ve learned along the way. In this conversation, Samsung asked what motivated these volunteers to become mentors and what the entire process meant to them. The discussion also explored how corporate experts who play a part in the mentorship process of school learners are able to bridge the gap between classroom theory and real-world innovation. And here is what they had to say:
Sizakele Portia Mphaka - a bookkeeper in the Finance Department of the Samsung Africa Office, mentored learners at two schools: Mowart Park High School in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) and Klerksdorp High School in the North West (NW). She became a Samsung mentor for the SFT competition because she wanted to give back to learners by providing guidance. In addition, she expressed how she was encouraged by the impact that the SFT competition has made in various communities around the country and how STEM can be applied to solve problems in everyday life, without having to be an expert in the field.
Mphaka said: “My role went beyond just helping to answer technical questions. I also helped learners to build their confidence and provided the critical skills they needed to break big, intimidating problems into manageable steps and encouraged them when experiments failed or ideas didn’t work the first time. Having been involved in this SFT programme, I am now more than convinced that mentorship from corporates can bring real-world context that the classroom often cannot.”
Benjamin van Zyl, a technical support specialist at Samsung Air-conditioning, is another 2026 SFT mentor. He backed a group of brilliant young learners from Kaalfontein Secondary School and supported these young people and shared what he knows, so they could help improve life in their community. He shared his refrigeration experience with the learners, building their confidence to present to the judges and giving them a clear picture of what to expect. One of the biggest challenges was a shortage of project materials in the learners’ area and van Zyl managed to help them find ways to improve what they already had and showed them which stores to buy what was missing.
Bokang Mangoale, a TV Key Account Manager at Samsung Electronics, mentored “Econovas”, a group of exceptionally smart and talented learners from Mbilwi High School in the heart of Venda. Mangoale says he became a mentor out of a deep desire to help the country’s youth to unleash their potential and create real community impact. For Mangoale, the journey has meant everything. There is nothing quite like watching smart students push past their boundaries, apply practical logic and successfully turn a raw concept into a working prototype.
Mangoale explained further: “My role as a corporate mentor wasn’t to teach them the science they already know, but to show them how to incorporate their theory into real-world scenarios. I helped the team to source affordable materials, to borrow some equipment, when needed and we also planned for prototype failure. This taught the learners real-world business agility. Together, were able to bridge the gap by shifting their focus from “what looks good on paper” to “what actually works in the real world.”
Lefa Makgato, corporate social responsibility (CSR) Manager for Samsung South Africa: “As Samsung, we are deeply grateful for the essential role played by our volunteer mentors in guiding, encouraging and coaching South Africa’s youth through STEM challenges. Based on this feedback, we are convinced that their combined dedication and interest in the development of learners as well as their projects; has made this journey a meaningful and memorable experience for the participating young stars. More over, by fostering teamwork, creative brainstorming, critical thinking and clear communication; these selfless individuals have together with educators - already managed to succesfully contribute to the development of vital skills for both the learners and their educators.”
Makgato remarked further and said: Samsung believes the mentors’ dedication to their learners and their projects has made this journey a meaningful and memorable experience for everyone involved. By fostering teamwork, creative brainstorming, critical thinking and clear communication, these mentors have helped build vital skills for both the learners and their educators.
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