Stellenbosch University’s (SU) Faculty of Engineering has achieved an outstanding result at the inaugural IPMA South Africa Project Management Championship, securing both first and second place at the national finals held in November. The event, hosted in South Africa for the first time, brought together top undergraduate teams from SU and the University of Cape Town (UCT) to tackle an intense real-world project challenge under severe time pressure. Six teams were originally set to participate — three from SU and three from UCT. Five teams ultimately competed on the day.

The winning team, Risky Business, consisting of Thomas Kirby, Johann Wahl, Tariq de Klerk and Mia Ham, are all final-year BEng students from the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering. They took first place after impressing the judging panel with their strategic thinking, teamwork and confident delivery.

In second place was the SU team Solid Ground Projectors, made up of final-year BEng Civil Engineering students Louis Nel, Logan Strydom, Isabella van Niekerk and Shane Teek, representing the University just as strongly.

Teams were given a complex City of Cape Town case study and only three hours to analyse the scenario, develop a full project plan and present a compelling pitch to an expert panel. The competition demanded critical thinking, technical proficiency and collaboration — skills that define successful project managers.

Among the judging panel was Prof Taryn Bond-Barnard, Associate Professor in the Department of Industrial Engineering at SU and the academic programme coordinator of the structured Masters in Engineering Management (MEM) at SU, who evaluated participants alongside two senior project managers from the City of Cape Town, Mr Adrian Dobbin and Mr Ryan Issacs. Her involvement highlighted the strong alignment between industry expectations and the academic preparation offered by SU’s Faculty of Engineering.

The championship ran alongside the IPMA-SA HOPE Summit, giving students access to industry professionals, mentorship opportunities and valuable networking beyond the classroom. For many competitors, the experience served as a powerful bridge between academic theory and real-world application.

The success of this first national championship paves the way for broader participation in 2026, when more universities are expected to compete. Next year will also introduce the summit’s inaugural academic research track, led by Prof Bond-Barnard, promoting stronger collaboration between academia, industry and emerging project leaders.

The achievement highlights the strength of the Faculty’s PM412 Project Management module, which is designed to equip students with technical proficiency in project management, collaborative skills and the ability to perform under pressure. The results also underscore the contribution of the academic staff and support teams involved in preparing students for the competition.

“It was clear that SU has some of the brightest undergraduate project management students in the country,” said Dr Bond-Barnard. “Their performance is a direct testament to the quality of the programme and the exceptional talent being developed here.”

The winners were recognised at the national IPMA Awards ceremony, bringing the day to a close and highlighting the value of collaboration and strategic problem-solving.

For more information, visit:

• https://www.ipma-sa.org/pm-competition
• https://www.hopesummit.co.za/