The Southern African Development Community (SADC) Secondary School Essay Competition is an initiative aimed at recognizing and rewarding outstanding essay writing among high school students. The competition encourages students to explore topics related to regional integration, industrialization, economic growth, and sustainable development. Here are the details of the competition:
Competition Theme:
The theme for the SADC Secondary School Essay Competition 2025-2026 is:
“In what ways can the SADC region encourage industrialization that promotes economic growth that is inclusive, sustainable, and resilient?”
Competition Benefits:
Winners of the SADC Secondary School Essay Competition will receive cash prizes and certificates. The prizes are awarded at both the regional and national levels:
Regional Level:
1st Prize: $1500 USD 2nd Prize: $1000 USD 3rd Prize: $750 USD
Top 10 winners will receive certificates signed by the SADC Chairperson.
National Level:
1st Prize: $500 USD 2nd Prize: $300 USD 3rd Prize: $200 USD
Top 3 winners will receive certificates signed by the SADC Executive Secretary and Minister of Education.
Eligibility Criteria:
To be eligible for the SADC Secondary School Essay Competition 2025-2026, applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Reside within South Africa
- Currently enrolled in a Secondary School (High School) in any of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Member States.
Essay Criteria:
- Essay should be written in one of the SADC working languages: English, French, or Portuguese.
- Length of the essay should be between 900 to 1000 words.
- Essay must be written in the applicant’s own words without assistance.
- Typed essay in Microsoft Word document format and hard copies are required.
- Entrants should sign and initialize each page of the hard copy document to prevent alteration.
- Full name should be mentioned in the essay as per ID/Passport.
- Essay must be written in Arial font with 1.5-line spacing.
- The essay must address the competition topic and promote SADC’s values, objectives, and common agenda.
Application Process:
The essay competition is coordinated by the Ministries of Education in respective SADC Member States. Students interested in participating should reach out to their school heads to submit their entries to the Ministries of Education in their respective countries. The submissions must include a completed SADC Secondary School Essay Competition Entry Form with the entrant’s contact details.
Government officials are responsible for submitting the top three essays to the SADC Secretariat for evaluation at the regional level.
Closing Date:
The deadline for submitting entries to the Secretariat is 31 May 2025-2026.
Contact Details:
For any inquiries, you can contact the SADC Secretariat through the following channels:
- Barbara Lopi (Head of Communication and Public Relations Unit): Email – blopi@sadc.int
- Innocent Mbvundula (Communication and Relations Officer): Email – imbvundula@sadc.int
- Telephone: +267 395 1863
- Postal Address: SADC Secretariat, Plot 54385 New CBD, Private Bag 0095 Gaborone, Botswana
- Fax: +267 397 2848
