Daniel Rush breaks African record at Johannesburg speedcubing event

Daniel Rush broke the African record in Johannesburg, and the result was only the sharpest edge of a weekend that underlined how far South African speedcubing has come. At the Cubestuff Grand Challenge - The Leonardo 2026, Rush’s latest run on 4x4x4 put his name back at the center of the continent’s rankings while a strong local field kept the pressure on throughout the meet.

The competition ran June 20-21 at The Leonardo in Sandton, Johannesburg, under the CubingZA banner, with WCA-sanctioned solving handled through the usual volunteer-led structure that governs official mechanical-puzzle events around the world. CubingZA, which says it exists to promote and encourage speedcubing in South Africa and help organizers stage sanctioned competitions, had Andries Kruger, Anthony Kalaya Rush, Cameron Lochrie Mcleod, Daniel Rush and Marike Faught listed among the organizers.

Rush’s World Cube Association profile shows why the record carried so much weight. He represents South Africa, has already competed in 67 competitions and has logged 4,146 official solves. His current personal bests include a 3x3x3 best of 4.82 seconds and average of 6.02 seconds, along with a 4x4x4 best of 20.36 seconds and average of 23.79 seconds. WCA Live’s recent-records feed showed a 4x4x4 average of 23.69 seconds for Rush, confirming that his strength on bigger cubes remains among the best on the continent.

The Johannesburg result also fits a broader pattern. At CubingZA Nationals 2025 in Johannesburg, Rush won the 3x3x3 Cube with a 7.28 average and set African records in 5x5x5 single at 42.42, 5x5x5 average at 45.52, 7x7x7 single at 2:05.66 and 7x7x7 average at 2:12.37. Jesse Osburn also set African Pyraminx records at that meet, another sign that the South African scene is producing more than one breakout name.

EWN had already identified Rush in September 2024 as Africa’s fastest cube solver, and the evidence from Johannesburg suggests that label still fits. With multiple South African competitions listed on CubingZA’s 2026 calendar, Rush’s record was not an isolated flash, but part of a deeper and faster wave now coming out of the local circuit.