SADC unveils 2026 winners of regional essay competitions

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has announced the winners of its 2026 Tertiary Institution Essay Competition and Secondary School Essay Competition, with students from six member states taking the top three positions in each category.

The competitions seek to encourage young people across the region to engage with SADC’s integration agenda and reflect on the challenges facing Southern Africa.

In the tertiary competition, participants were asked to compare the challenges faced by SADC’s founders in the 20th century with current regional challenges and identify lessons from the founders that could be applied to today’s problems.

Eswatini’s Vuyelwa Karabo Simelane won first prize and received USD2,000, while Yamikani Bottomani of Malawi took second place with a USD1,500 award.

Liezel Bernies Mujoro of Namibia finished third and received USD1,000.

The competition provided students with an opportunity to examine the historical foundations of regional cooperation and consider how the principles that guided SADC’s founders could inform responses to contemporary challenges.

In the secondary school category, contestants addressed the theme of how SADC can achieve industrialisation, transform agriculture and manage the energy transition to build a resilient future.

Zimbabwe’s Thulani Mahambire won first prize, earning USD1,500. Dirse Carmem Francisco of Mozambique finished second with USD1,000, while Siyambonga Makhoba of South Africa took third place and received USD750.

The essays focused on some of the region’s key development priorities, including industrialisation, agricultural transformation, energy security and the transition towards more sustainable energy systems.

The SADC Secretariat congratulated all the winners and encouraged learners from across the region to participate in the next competitions.

The 2027 SADC Tertiary Institution and Secondary School Essay Competitions are expected to be launched in November 2026.