03/06/2026
| The Department of Basic Education’s Mathematics, Science and Technology (MST) Conditional Grant Inter-Provincial Seminar got underway. Over the course of two days, the seminar brought together Provincial Education Departments (PEDs), MST Directors and Coordinators, strategic partners and key stakeholders as a critical platform to review implementation progress, share best practice and strengthen the delivery of MST education across all nine provinces.
The seminar opened with a clear sense of purpose. Mr Mlungisi Mkhwanazi, Project Manager of the MST Conditional Grant, set the tone by reflecting on a year of improved financial management, reduced underspending, and meaningful investment in ICT resources, MST equipment, learner support programmes and teacher development. Progress is being made and accountability is being deepened through a revised reporting template and strengthened monitoring and evaluation processes.
Dr Tlhabane, Chief Director: MST & Curriculum Enhancement Programmes, reminded the room: “Education investment must deliver measurable impact.” Sound spending matters but the real measure of success is improved learner outcomes. He highlighted the Sasol Foundation’s partnership as a powerful example of how government and the private sector can work together to build a stronger skills pipeline for South Africa’s future.
Ms Elspeth Khembo, Director: MST, Curriculum Innovation and E-learning, brought this to life by unpacking how the Grant reaches over a thousand schools with both resources and people, from additional teachers to structured development programmes — across Mathematics, Physical Sciences, Technical Sciences, Coding and Robotics, and more. Her message was clear: delivery in STEM must be urgently strengthened to meet national targets, including producing 30,000 artisans and lifting learner achievement across the board.
Adding an international dimension to the day, Ms Yamaris Hidalgo Sanchez, National Coordinator of the Cuban Education Specialists Programme, outlined how 16 Cuban specialists deployed across provinces are supporting sustainable improvements in Mathematics and Physical Sciences; through continuous professional development, ICT integration, and data-driven classroom support.
One of the day’s most compelling moments came from Mr Terence Khala, Acting Director: Communications and Research, who made a powerful case for the art of storytelling in education advocacy. Drawing on a video sweep conducted across Limpopo, Free State, Mpumalanga and North West, he reminded delegates that behind every statistic is a learner whose aspirations have grown, a teacher driving innovation, and a community being transformed. MST, he urged, must be positioned as a national movement for opportunity, aspiration and inclusion.
The day closed with all nine Provincial Education Departments taking to the floor — Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, North West and Western Cape — sharing their 2025/26 performance and laying out their plans for the year ahead. The conversations were candid, collaborative and deeply committed to the shared mission.
