Radio 786, in partnership with Oasis Group Holdings, welcomed schools from across Cape Town to its inaugural high school quiz on Saturday, 15 August 2026, at the Groote Schuur High School Hall in Newlands.
Eighteen schools went head-to-head in a fast-paced general knowledge contest to determine the first-ever Radio 786 High School Quiz champion. After an intense battle, South Peninsula High School emerged victorious, claiming the historic title.
Among the audience was the keynote speaker for the quiz, Dr Naledi Pandor, current Chairperson of the Nelson Mandela Foundation Board of Trustees and former Minister of International Relations and Cooperation.
Before addressing the audience, Dr Pandor took the opportunity to simply enjoy the quiz and observe the strategic battle of minds between the student competitors as they raced to answer questions accurately and thoroughly.
She said she enjoyed being an audience member and watching the students put their general knowledge to the test.
Addressing the auditorium, Dr Pandor spoke about the importance of general knowledge, saying:
“General knowledge indicates the depth and breadth of the intellectual richness of information gathered over time. It also provides the holder with knowledge beyond favourite subjects or useful information.”
She emphasised that transformative general knowledge could educate students about the value of multilateralism and highlight the importance of a strengthened and transformed United Nations in advancing and protecting global unity and cooperation.
Yusuf Ebrahim, a member of the Oasis Group Holdings executive team, paid tribute to the broader education community that made it possible for students to participate in the quiz.
He recognised the teachers who gave their time and shared their knowledge, the principals who created environments that enabled students to learn and succeed, and the parents and families who provided support and encouragement.
Ebrahim also highlighted Radio 786’s role in creating a platform where students could test themselves and assess how familiar they were with the knowledge they had acquired.
His colleague, Umairah Jeeanody, spoke about the purpose of healthy competition, saying it teaches people to research and prepare, think under pressure, test themselves against others, and identify their strengths and weaknesses.
She said healthy competition also teaches students that excellence is built through commitment and hard work — from the hours spent preparing, to the questions students ask when they do not understand something, to the teacher who stays behind after class to provide additional guidance.
Jeeanody also highlighted the continuous encouragement provided by parents and the confidence students gain when they recognise their own capabilities.
Dr Pandor closed the proceedings by encouraging the students to recognise the role they can play in shaping the future.
“Your country produced the world icon, Nelson Mandela, and you have one of the most progressive constitutions in the world, a constitution that encapsulates the best expectations of humanity. If you choose to build on all these legacies through your knowledge acquisition, we will have succeeded in translating general knowledge into a tool for fundamental change of the globe.”
