By Eamonn Ryan
The halls of FRIGAIR 2025 buzzed with more than just industry innovation during 4-6 June, as the exhibition proudly hosted its inaugural SAIRAC Expo Skills Development Hub competition. This is Part 2 of a three-part series.
The six contestants receiving their awards: (l-r) Donovan Angel, Trevor van Eden, Cayla Willers, Robert Fox, Tebello Thebehae, Gabankitse Malebaco and Irvin van der Poll. ©RACA Journal
The competition drew a diverse group of participants, each with a unique journey into HVAC&R and varied levels of experience.
From electrical to refrigeration: Van Eden from Raetec in Paarl, who initially entered the air conditioning industry after finding a pamphlet in high school, expressed his deep interest in the field. He had previously excelled in provincial and national electrical skills competitions, even winning twice provincially. Despite finding the FRIGAIR competition “high above my head” given his less than six months of experience, he learned the crucial lesson: “come more prepared than you actually think you need to be”. He admitted to underestimating the preparation required but found the learning experience invaluable, confirming his desire to pursue an electrical career with newfound knowledge of refrigeration.
Embracing challenges as a learning curve: Willers, an apprentice from ACRA and who came second, initially considered welding before finding air conditioning. Drawn by the flexible individual courses offered, she discovered a passion for industrial machines and ammonia systems due to their ozone-friendly nature. She described the competition as “very, very intense”, especially with the added pressure of being continuously watched and even filmed. She acknowledged it was “a bit above my skills level at this moment” but viewed it as a vital “learning curve and experience”. Despite the physical demands of hand tooling, she was proud of her precise pipe bending and straight cuts, overcoming challenges as a female in a male-dominated trade.
Unexpected exposure and inspiration: Malebaco, an electrical student from a Bloemfontein TVET college with a newly started artisan academy, found herself in the competition almost by chance. Her college sought exposure to refrigeration, a field they don’t yet specialise in. Despite being at a “big disadvantage” for this reason, Malebaco felt “privileged” to be chosen from 300 students. She was “amazed” by the scale of the refrigeration industry, stating, “I didn’t know refrigeration was that big” and felt inspired to learn more. He particularly appreciated the judges’ fairness, who adapted the tests to consider diverse strengths.
Veteran insights and continuous learning: Donovan Angel, a seasoned HVAC technician with 20 years of experience, represented OTTC as a contestant. Having trained extensively in ammonia and refrigeration and even lectured, he participated to get recertified on newer systems. Angel emphasised that the industry values practical skills beyond paperwork and celebrated the dynamic nature of the trade, the constant introduction of new technologies, and the strong camaraderie among professionals. He found the practical testing challenging but rewarding, particularly working with unfamiliar equipment, and appreciated the accommodating atmosphere of the industry, which he described as a “close-knit community”.
Electrician’s newfound interest: Thebehae, another Bloemfontein TVET electrical learner, found the competition “really, really hard” but “immensely enjoyed it”. He learned “many things” from both the event and his fellow competitors. His participation ignited an interest in refrigeration and air conditioning, realising there were significant aspects of these fields he was unaware of. He now plans to integrate this newfound knowledge into his electrical career.
The judges’ perspective: fairness and future improvements
The Chief Judge, Jaco Pieterse, praised the skills competition as “extremely well set out”, covering a broad range of electrical and mechanical skills to ensure a fair chance for all. While acknowledging the challenge faced by contestants from purely electrical backgrounds who unexpectedly encountered refrigeration tasks, he lauded the “excellent and world-class” equipment and logistics. For future competitions, Pietrse suggested organisational adjustments, particularly in the enrolment process and clearer eligibility marking, to ensure participants have a better understanding of the expected tasks.
Fellow judge Pieter Potgieter, echoed the sentiments on fairness, emphasising the pressure on students to perform in public. He highlighted the competition’s crucial role in making the technical field more competitive, especially given the funding challenges for proper training. For Potgieter, developing young minds is a great pleasure, and he sees the competition as a vital step in guiding youth towards skilled careers and away from societal pitfalls.
The inaugural SAIRAC skills competition was a resounding success, not only in crowning a champion but also in providing a crucial platform for skill development, industry engagement, and inspiring the next generation of HVhttps://refrigerationandaircon.co.za/voices-from-the-competition-floor-learning-under-pressure/AC&R professionals.
