Old Mutual launches, sponsors the 2026 Mathematics Olympiad Competition with K45m

The leading financial services provider, Old Mutual Malawi Limited in collaboration with Mzuzu University (Mzuni) Department of Mathematics and Statistics has launched the 2025/2026 Mathematics Olympiad Competition with a MK45 million sponsorship.

The competition is expected to roll out in January with registration planned for December.

Speaking at the sponsorship handover ceremony in Mzuzu, Old Mutual Life Assurance Company Managing Director Mark Mikwamba said the competition remains one of the most inspiring platforms in the company’s calendar.

“It allows it to directly witness the brilliance, dedication, and ambition of Malawi’s young minds,” he said.

Mikwamba highlighted that in 2024/2025 edition, 237 students out of which, 113 girls and 124 boys, averaging 17 years of age participated from across the country. “We are particularly encouraged by the growing participation of girls, evidenced by the fact that the highest score in Test 1 last year was achieved by a female student, with another female among the top two performers overall.”

Adding that out of 122 schools, 48 were Community Day Secondary Schools, showing that the competition continues to reach students from diverse backgrounds.

According to him, the milestones that the competition has achieved, it has necessitated the business to increase the sponsorship competition from MK33 million to MK45 million.
Mikwamba further said, “At Old Mutual we look at education, particularly mathematics and science as key drivers of innovation, economic growth, and sustainable development. It always encourages us that some of the individuals who participated in the past edition of the competition have progressed in various careers and many of them have become respected people in our society”

In his remarks, Mzuzu University Vice Chancellor, Professor Wales Singini hailed Old Mutual for the sponsorship and for the partnership the university continues to enjoy.

He said for Malawi to develop, it needs Mathematical language more than ever before. “Math forms the base of every aspect of life, you talk of technology, innovation, environment, you name it. All these require modelling of some sort.”

Therefore, he said: Promoting mathematics, means you really care about development.”

Old Mutual Malawi resuscitated the competition in 2015 and reached this far the competition has clocked 10 years.