African youth test Mars rovers at Sansa’s Hartebeesthoek Mars Yard

African youth showcased their engineering prowess at the Cars4Mars African Rover Challenge Mars Stage Final 2026, held at the South African National Space Agency’s (Sansa) Hartebeesthoek Mars Yard. Organized by Cars4Mars founder Basia Nasiorowska, the five-month competition drew over 120 participants from South Africa, Kenya, and Zimbabwe, representing nearly 100 teams from 11 African countries.

The final event saw teams tackle two missions: the Traversal Mission, which required remote navigation across uneven terrain while transporting objects, and the AI Autonomous Mission, where computer vision was used to identify items such as hammers, tennis balls, and coloured balloons. The event, held in a Mars Yard built from 40 tonnes of red sand, was judged by an international panel and highlighted the participants' perseverance and creativity.

Winners included Cyberstorm from Milestone High School in Zimbabwe, Inadeptus Mechanicus from Rhodes and Stellenbosch Universities, and Tech Tonic from Bryanston High School. The event, backed by various partners, aims to give African youth the chance to solve real challenges and contribute to the future of space exploration.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Citizen's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.