South Africa will host the World Robot Olympiad (WRO) International Final in 2028, bringing the WRO’s flagship global robotics competition to the African continent.
According to a statement, WRO participation in South Africa has grown from around 40 teams when the national competition launched in 2010, to approximately 1 800 teams in 2025.
The international final brings together the top teams qualifying through WRO competitions worldwide. Last year, the final in Singapore drew 595 teams from 91 countries.
Cape Town will host the 2028 International Final at the Cape Town International Convention Centre during the second week of December 2028.
“Hosting the international final means South African students get to compete on the world stage without leaving home. Between now and 2028, we want to include many more of our young people into the wonderful world of robotics and competitions,” says Danie Heymans, national organiser of WRO South Africa, run under the custodianship of the Resolute Foundation.
“We want to include many more of our young people into the wonderful world of robotics and competitions. Congratulations to the World Robot Olympiad International Finals 2028 in South Africa,” says Siviwe Gwarube, minister of basic education of South Africa.
South African judges account for around one in four international judges at recent WRO international finals, giving local educators first-hand experience of international competitions and mentoring that they bring back to schools and competitions at home.
WRO South Africa already enjoys healthy participation across all nine provinces, and by 2028 organisers aim to deepen that reach into schools and communities currently underrepresented in robotics competitions, it says.
“South Africa has become an increasingly important part of the WRO community,” says Claus Ditlev Christensen, secretary-general of the World Robot Olympiad Association.
“Participation has grown tremendously, and local educators and judges already make a significant contribution internationally. Bringing the international final to Cape Town is a natural next step, and we hope it will inspire even more young people across South Africa and the wider African continent to discover robotics and STEM.”
Further details about the WRO International Final 2028, including confirmed competition dates, participation information and the event programme, will be announced as planning progresses.
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