People · South Africa
Philip Iwan Botha
Pyraminx · top 4.8% of 129,321 all-time · competing since April 2023 · 2023BOTH04
Philip Iwan Botha has been competing for 3 years. His best event is the Pyraminx: a personal-best single of 3.33, set at Cubestuff Grand Challenge Cape Town 2025, puts him in the top 4.8% of the 129,321 people who have ever been ranked in the event, and 28th in South Africa. Until February 2008, no official Pyraminx solve in the world had been that fast. Across 8 competitions since April 2023, he has put 389 official solves on the record across ten events. Solve to solve, his 3×3 times vary about 10% around a typical one, steadier than 93% of the 35,811 competitors with ten or more counted rounds. His 3×3 best has come down from 13.90 in April 2023 to 10.67, a 23% improvement. Philip has entered eight competitions, more competitions than 90% of everyone who has ever competed.
Standing, event by event
vs everyone ever ranked| Event | PB single | PB average | All-time standing | South Africa | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pyraminx | 3.33 | 8.99 | top 4.8% | 28 / 946 | |
| 3×3 | 10.67 | 12.93 | top 9.5% | 100 / 2,164 | |
| 2×2 | 3.30 | 4.88 | top 17.8% | 181 / 1,510 | |
| Skewb | 6.58 | 10.06 | top 30.3% | 109 / 438 | |
| 4×4 | 58.76 | 1:08.57 | top 35.1% | 116 / 491 | |
| Square-1 | 24.96 | 35.06 | top 39.1% | 39 / 118 | |
| Megaminx | 2:19.48 | 2:36.28 | top 56.1% | 108 / 266 | |
| 5×5 | 2:22.65 | 2:47.68 | top 62.3% | 116 / 221 | |
| 3×3 one-handed | 38.16 | 44.75 | top 62.6% | 186 / 467 | |
| 7×7 | 10:38.00 | — | early days — 1 solve | 68 / 69 |
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
- 6 Dec 2025Four personal bests in one day at Cubestuff Grand Challenge Cape Town 2025.
- 18 Oct 2025Six personal bests in one day at Cape Cubes Spring 2025.
- 2 Aug 2025Three personal bests in one day at Cape Cubes Winter 2025.
- 30 Sep 2023Four personal bests in one day at CubingZA Cape Cubes Spring 2023.
- 22 Apr 2023First competition: CubingZA Cape Cubes Autumn 2023. A 13.90 3×3 single to start from.
Competitions
- Cubestuff Grand Challenge Cape Town 2025 · 6 Dec 2025 — 4 personal bests set
- Cape Cubes Spring 2025 · 18 Oct 2025 — 6 personal bests set
- Cape Cubes Winter 2025 · 2 Aug 2025 — 3 personal bests set
- Eversdal Autumn 2024 · 11 May 2024 — 1 personal best set
- Mid Summer Madness Cape Town 2024 · 17 Feb 2024 — 1 personal best set
- CubingZA Cape Cubes Challenge 2023 · 9 Dec 2023 — 2 personal bests set
- CubingZA Cape Cubes Spring 2023 · 30 Sep 2023 — 4 personal bests set
- CubingZA Cape Cubes Autumn 2023 · 22 Apr 2023
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.
- Daniel Rush — met in 82 rounds, finished ahead twice
- Jahziel Dominic Alonzo — met in 76 rounds, finished ahead 14 times
- Maverick Pearson — met in 68 rounds, finished ahead twice
Next targets
- A sub-3 Pyraminx single — 4,700 people have one; it is 0.33 away.
- A sub-10 3×3 single — 21,172 people have one; it is 0.67 away.
Targets move as he improves.