People · South Africa
Dewald Swanevelder
3×3 · top 8.1% of 284,439 all-time · competing since June 2016 · 2016SWAN02
Dewald Swanevelder has been competing for 10 years. His best event is the 3×3: a personal-best single of 10.22, set at Cubing in the Cape Q1 2026, puts him in the top 8.1% of the 284,439 people who have ever been ranked in the event, and 81st in South Africa. Until May 2007, no official 3×3 solve in the world had been that fast. Across 5 competitions since June 2016, he has put 159 official solves on the record across seven events. Solve to solve, his 3×3 times vary about 14% around a typical one; 65% of the 35,811 competitors with ten or more counted rounds hold a tighter spread. His 3×3 best has come down from 33.15 in June 2016 to 10.22, a 69% improvement. Dewald has entered five competitions, more competitions than 83% of everyone who has ever competed.
Standing, event by event
vs everyone ever ranked| Event | PB single | PB average | All-time standing | South Africa | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3×3 | 10.22 | 15.28 | top 8.1% | 81 / 2,164 | |
| 2×2 | 2.52 | 5.25 | top 9.1% | 88 / 1,510 | |
| 3×3 one-handed | 31.24 | 40.82 | top 49.4% | 140 / 467 | |
| 4×4 | 1:29.75 | 1:51.23 | top 63.4% | 229 / 491 | |
| Pyraminx | 12.98 | 18.30 | top 72.8% | 638 / 946 | |
| Megaminx | 3:12.38 | 3:57.97 | top 78.5% | 169 / 266 | |
| 5×5 | 3:18.63 | 3:30.11 | top 83.7% | 156 / 221 |
Percentile against all competitors ever ranked in each event, a fairer measure than raw rank, because the pools differ by a factor of ten.
The line so far
Best single per competition, 3×3. Faster is higher — the axis is the right way up.
The story so far
- 8 Feb 2026First sub-15 3×3: 13.44 at Cubing in the Cape Q1 2026.
- 8 Feb 2026Five personal bests in one day at Cubing in the Cape Q1 2026.
- 17 May 2019Four personal bests in one day at Arnold Classic Africa 2019.
- 18 May 2018Three personal bests in one day at Arnold Classic Africa 2018.
- 27 Nov 2016First sub-30 3×3: 19.29 at Johannesburg 2016.
- 27 Nov 2016First sub-20 3×3: 19.29 at Johannesburg 2016.
Competitions
- Cubing in the Cape Q1 2026 · 8 Feb 2026 — 5 personal bests set
- Arnold Classic Africa 2019 · 17 May 2019 — 4 personal bests set
- Arnold Classic Africa 2018 · 18 May 2018 — 3 personal bests set
- Johannesburg 2016 · 27 Nov 2016 — 2 personal bests set
- Johannesburg Open 2016 · 19 Jun 2016
Reading this page: a single is one solve's time · an average is the middle three of five solves, best and worst discarded · a PB is a personal best · a DNF (did not finish) is an attempt with no valid result: a popped piece, an unsolved face, an over-limit memorisation · top X% compares against everyone ever ranked in that event, which is fairer than raw rank because event pools differ tenfold.
The circuit
The people whose scorecards keep turning up next to his.
- Dylan Swarts — met in 26 rounds, never finished ahead
- Ruben Grobler — met in 24 rounds, never finished ahead
- Patrick Ellis — met in 23 rounds, finished ahead 3 times
Next targets
- A sub-10 3×3 single — 21,172 people have one; it is 0.22 away.
- A sub-2 2×2 single — 8,848 people have one; it is 0.52 away.
Targets move as he improves.