By Phumla Mkize
The Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) Solar Car Project Team has been awarded the prestigious International Council of Academies of Engineering and Technological Sciences (CAETS) Communication Prize for 2025.
TUT was announced as the winner on 10 September 2025 at the annual CAETS Conference underway in Brisbane, Australia, for the submission that captured innovation and excellence in TUT’s Solar Car Project, dubbed SunChaser.
TUT’s entry titled “Sustainable Automotive Technologies: a TUT Case Study” stole the hearts of the judging panel to scoop the US$5 000 prize, beating finalists from China, India, the US, the Netherlands, the UK, Australia, Poland, Mexico and Uruguay.
The inspirational five-minute video is not only a spectacle of engineering and technological feats used in SunChaser models including the latest model, SunChaser 4, but also highlights the role of science and technology in solving societal challenges. It is also a masterclass in building student capacity while engaging communities and inspiring future engineers and technologists.
Produced by Dr Christian Oosthuizen, Senior Mechatronics Engineering Lecturer and Prof Ben van Wyk, Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Teaching, Learning and Technology, it won by a unanimous decision of the judging panel comprising CAETS members from Australia, China, India, the Netherlands, Nigeria and Uruguay.
According to Prof Van Wyk, the Solar Car Project is a story of resilience, innovation and engineering excellence. “It is a call to the next generation to push boundaries, embrace sustainable technology and reimagine the future of mobility,” he said.
The winning video features Prof Van Wyk; Dr Oosthuizen, who is also Co-Manager of the Solar Car Project; Cleo-Ann Manamela, third-year mechanical engineering student and Solar Car Project member; Johannes De Vries, Electrical Engineering Technologist and Co-Manager of the Solar Car Project; and Andile Dlamini, Solar Car driver and third-year mechanical engineering student.
“It is a proud moment for TUT and a demonstration of the power of science, technology and engineering to inspire,” said Prof Mxolisi Shongwe, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment.
Prof Tinyiko Maluleke, Vice-Chancellor and Principal, said the TUT Solar Car is testimony to the University’s commitment to environmental sustainability.
“Four models and several national as well as international accolades later, we can say, without any fear of contradiction, that the TUT Solar Car model is an engineering masterpiece. And the accolades do not come bigger and better than the International Council of Academics of Engineering and Technological Sciences (CAETS) Communication Prize,” he said.
“My chest swells with pride when I consider that for a decade at least, TUT engineers and their students have been meticulously constructing and improving the SunChaser. Congratulations to the team of staff and students!” said Prof Maluleke.
The CAETS Communication Prize is awarded to “the most outstanding audio-visual communication of excellence and innovation in engineering and technological science”. Entries for the prize are accepted through member country academies. TUT’s entry was submitted by the South African Academy of Engineering.
Explaining the role of the award, CAETS said it aims to encourage technological scientists and engineers worldwide to communicate in a simple and engaging way with general audiences, particularly young people and students.
“This is done through a competitive selection of short videos, each under five minutes, explaining the societal significance of technological advances and engineering achievements. Such videos have the dual aim of inspiring students to follow careers in engineering and technological sciences, and educating the general public on the impact that engineering and technological sciences have on their lives and future,” said the Council in the entry criteria.
Tshwane University of Technology
