Brainpower battles loom as Old Mutual High Schools Quiz marks milestone

By Ilyana Sithole

Buckle up for an intellectual showdown! High schools from all the corners of Zimbabwe are preparing for the eagerly awaited 2025 Old Mutual National High Schools Quiz with a promise of an exciting showcase of intellect and competitiveness. Its 40th edition this year is going to be the most engrossing yet, as Old Mutual Zimbabwe has promised a huge range of prizes that will go straight to motivating both pupils and institutions.

The massive prize money is comprised of basic materials like solar sets to be used in administration blocks or computer rooms, water tanks and boreholes to aid school projects, and advanced apparatus like computers, printers, and mobile phones.

Far more than a contest, the annual quiz is a demonstration of Old Mutual Zimbabwe’s dedication to its corporate social responsibility programme. It is a potent spur to the growth of the education industry in Zimbabwe, promoting a learning culture through difficult and stimulating questions. Additionally, Old Mutual Zimbabwe effectively integrates the education on financial literacy into the High Schools Quiz, empowering the minds of youth with vital life skills.

The 2025 edition will once again be presented in partnership with The Book of African Records, renowned producers of Pan-African content, ensuring a quiz that is both intellectually stimulating and culturally relevant.

There is a national mobilization program currently under way in full force, reaching all ten provinces through schools. Its purpose is to acquaint learners, teachers, and school administrators alike with the rules and regulations of the competition so that honest and enjoyable participation can be facilitated.

To further generate the buzz, celebrations will take place in late May to mark the 40th anniversary of this top-flight contest. They will be held in association with the National Association of Secondary School Heads (NASH), a reflection of the quiz’s influential place in Zimbabwean schooling.

The Provincial Finals shall be contested on two important dates:
* 6 June 2025: Harare, Manicaland, Mashonaland East, Matabeleland South, and Midlands provinces will be hosting their much-contested finals.
* 29 June 2025: The battle for provincial supremacy will continue in Bulawayo, Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland West, Masvingo, and Matabeleland North.

The victorious teams from each Provincial Final will be rewarded with an exclusive and enriching visit to Old Mutual Zimbabwe’s head office in Harare. This session will focus on enhancing their financial literacy skills, providing them with invaluable knowledge for their future.

As a follow-up to this learning journey, provincial champions will tour around Liberation City, a mega 101-hectare initiative led by the Institute of African Knowledge (INSTAK). The mega Harare complex will have the Museum of African Liberation, a Heritage Village, the Liberation Mall, an Amusement Park of African zest, and an Animal Park, showcasing the continent’s history and culture like no other.

The final battle, the National Old Mutual High Schools Quiz National Finals, is on 4 July 2025. The nation breathes a collective waiting as to which school will become the 2025 “Battle of the Brainboxes” champion. This year’s contest not only brings with it mental fireworks, but real prizes for Zimbabwe’s future leaders and their schools.