Boy, 4, dubbed ‘human calculator’ as he can immediately work out any maths sum
The Mbambo family were astonished when their little lad Andile started answering maths questions instantly. They say that ‘numbers are his thing’
Andile(Image: Onkgopotse Koloti/Cover Images)
Parents are used to coaxing their children for answers when it comes to maths homework. But for the Mbambo family, what was a normal lesson in learning turned into something truly extraordinary.
Waiting for his son Sihle, eight, to come up with an answer, dad Xolani was astonished when the solution came from a tiny person the other side of the room. It was Sihle’s litte brother Andile, aged just four. Not only had he answered. His answer was correct.
Reckoning this was a pure fluke, Xolani asked another question. And Andile was right again. The dad then decided to make the questions more difficult for his youngest son.
Dad Xolani with his two boys Sihle, eight, and Andile, aged four(Image: Onkgopotse Koloti/Cover Images)
And still he answered them, almost as soon as he asked them. Xolani, 35, a musician from Benoni, near Pretoria, South Africa, said: “I was shocked. Numbers are his thing.”
Asking him to multiply 16 by 16 and he comes back straight away with 256. 256 by 256? No problem, it’s 65,536. His problem solving is so incredible that Andile has become a TikTok hit attracting 1.3million like and 190,000 followers. Xolani insists there is no trickery involved. It’s just a gift.
At Qodesh Creche and After Daycare, Andile learns the alphabet, sings nursery rhymes and does everything expected of a four-year-old.
While Andile enjoys his crèche, he doesn’t find it challenging enough. “He’s crying because he said school sometimes takes up his time,” says Xolani.
Mum Samkelisiwe, 26, insists they don’t force their little boy to do the calculations for clicks. In fact, he asks them if he can make another video. “I want to count for my people,” he says.
And he gets a lot of messages from his followers. “Which software version did you install on him?” one joked. “Does he offer maths lessons? I need help!” says another.
Andile’s talent was discovered by accident when he answered a maths question meant for his eight-year-old brother Sihle(Image: Onkgopotse Koloti/Cover Images)
Some viewers do ask if it’s genuine and leave nasty comments. “I make sure I defend him,” says Xolani. Andile is a normal four-year-old, say his family, who loves playing with his friends and trip to McDonald’s.
But there aren’t many four-year-olds who already say they want to be a doctor when they grow up. And his family reckon he could travel to the US when he’s older, with Xolani even suggesting a movie ‘Andile the Calculator’.
“Sometimes he’ll tell you, ‘You don’t know that I’m a celebrity. I’m Andile the Calculator’,” says Xolani. Meanwhile his parents are still puzzled where he gets his maths skills from. “He definitely didn’t get it from me,” Samkelisiwe said.
