Inside the Awards Shaping the Future of South African Classrooms
- BY MUFARO MHARIWA
- Nov 14
- 2 min read
On 5 November, iStore Education hosted its 2025 Excellence in Education Awards, honouring the schools, teachers, and students redefining classroom creativity through Apple technology.
Now in its 17th year, the Awards have become one of the most anticipated celebrations of innovation in teaching and learning, spotlighting how digital tools are being used to empower future-ready learners. This year saw a record 225 submissions from 32 schools across five provinces, narrowed down to 62 finalists invited to a special awards evening at the iStore Sandton Drive lounge.
Finalists competed across three categories: Creative Excellence, Curriculum Excellence, and Tech Excellence, each recognising a different dimension of innovation. Projects ranged from AI-powered learning tools and coding apps to digital storytelling and stop-motion art.
Winners were celebrated across all grade levels, from the Foundation Phase (Grades R–3) through to the Senior Phase (Grades 8–12). Top projects included ‘Superheroes Adventure’ from Dorothea Special School, ‘Banksy Stop Motion' from Heronbridge College, and ‘StudyPal’ from St John’s College, which took first place in the combined senior category.
An international panel of Apple in Education specialists from Austria, India, the Netherlands, and the UK judged the entries, praising the imagination and technical depth displayed by the students.
“I’ve spent a very enjoyable time going through the entries in the Tech Excellence category and I am absolutely blown away by the creativity and passion shared by these students,” said Jacob Woolcock, an Apple Education Specialist from the UK.
“The entries were creative, entertaining, inspiring and often deeply moving, using Apple technology in thoughtful, innovative ways,” added Bronwyn Desjardins from Mauritius.
The Awards’ theme this year: “How have you used Apple products to bring learning to life?”, inspired a mix of imaginative and real-world solutions. From projects tackling ocean pollution to interactive farming simulations and digital art inspired by Monet and Degas, the finalists showcased how technology can turn classrooms into spaces of exploration and creation.
Michelle Lissoos, iStore Education Director, highlighted how the Awards reflect South Africa’s evolving education landscape.
“This year’s theme reflects our mission to empower South African teachers and students to explore, create and solve real-world problems using Apple technology,” said Lissoos. “Technology alone doesn’t transform education; it’s the people behind it who do.”
As the evening wrapped, one thing was clear: the next generation of South African innovators isn’t waiting for the future, they’re already building it, one iPad project at a time.
