Westville Girls' High School Wins National Vega Vibe Title For Second Consecutive Year

Westville Girls’ High School has done it again! After winning the Durban leg of Vega VIBE 2026, a national interschool brand challenge hosted by The Vega School at Emeris, the school’s Team One was recently named the national winner for the second consecutive year.

The school competed against fellow regional winners St Cyprian’s School (Cape Town), Pinnacle College Linden (Johannesburg) and Sutherland High School (Pretoria) for the national title.

“This is our fourth year participating in the competition and winning nationally for the second year in a row is incredibly rewarding. It speaks to the calibre and commitment of our learners. We’re very proud of them and this achievement,” said Tayla Miles (English and Art teacher at Westville Girls’ High School).

Vega VIBE, short for Vega Interschool Brand Experience (VIBE), challenges learners to think like creative problem solvers while responding to a real-world client brief.

This year, learners tackled a brief from Sapmok, a premium outdoor brand which creates strong, durable gear for hiking and exploring nature.

The challenge? Learners had to come up with innovative ideas for Sapmok to connect with Gen Z and change the perception that hiking gear was practical, boring, unfashionable and only meant for the outdoors.

Westville Girls’ High School had entered two teams of six learners each in the Durban leg. The school has become a Vega VIBE regular because the competition gives learners exposure to brand strategy, marketing and design while introducing them to career opportunities beyond traditional professions.

The winning team said the experience was both demanding and rewarding.

“It feels phenomenal to be the national winners. We put a lot of hard work and preparation into our presentation from the time we received the brief a few days before the competition. There were sleepless nights, but it’s been an amazing experience competing against other schools,” said Grade 12 learner Snenhlanhla Hlongwa.

Fellow Grade 12 teammate Fumane Morojele said the group focussed on understanding the brief, conducting market research, refining a strong central idea and supporting one another throughout the process.

“I’m proud of our team and how well we worked together. Our school emphasises sisterhood, female empowerment, collaboration and entrepreneurship. This opportunity with our school and The Vega School at Emeris gave us the space to be creative and to be our own entrepreneurs, which is very special to me as a black South African woman,” added Grade 12 learner Lethinhlanhla Zondo.

Annabelle Cloete (Sapmok CEO and national Vega VIBE 2026 judge) said she was impressed with the quality of work presented by the regional winners.

“Some of the presentations were on par with, or very close to, tertiary level presentations we’ve seen before. It was a difficult decision to choose a winner. All the learners did a fantastic job. I loved that Westville Girls’ High School’s concept felt authentically South African, was rooted in the arts and was realistic for a small brand like Sapmok to execute,” she said.

Amalia van Schalkwyk (Deputy Dean of Brand Management and Communication at The Vega School at Emeris) said that Vega VIBE gave learners the opportunity to showcase their strategic thinking, creativity, design skills, teamwork and presentation abilities while tackling authentic brand challenges.

“In doing so, the competition offers a valuable introduction to The Vega School at Emeris’ curriculum and student experience, providing learners with a firsthand glimpse into the dynamic fields of business, branding and design,” she concluded.

Regional winners received a R7,000 Takealot voucher for the school and a R1,000 Takealot voucher for each team member. As the national winner, Westville Girls’ High School received a R17 000 Takealot voucher.