Call for Entries: 2025 SADC Secondary School Essay Competition
Competition Overview
The Southern African Development Community (SADC has now opened a call for applications titled Secondary school Essay competition in 2025. The SADC is welcome and invites all passionate secondary learners from the 16 member countries to showcase and present a unique innovation that can shape and redirect the region’s economic future.
This Essay competition was launched in 1996, with the primary aim of regional integration through development, and unity by focusing inspiration and encouraging talented youth to contribute and engage with key regional issues.
This year’s main competition theme is how innovation can improve SADC industrialization and sustainable economic growth and development.
This topic will step down the 44th SADC summit, which will be held in Zimbabwe, where the importance of innovation, such as a driver for industrialization, manufacturing, Agro-processing, and mineral beneficiation.
Candidates are strongly encouraged to submit original work, a well-researched and thoughtful essay. To be considered, your application should avoid plagiarism, bullet points, and short-form answers. Essays should reflect the diversity, innovation, and spirit of regional unity in SADC. The competition offers students a powerful platform to showcase their voices in shaping Southern Africa’s development.
Who Can Participate?
The essay competition is open to all secondary school students who are currently enrolled in a school within the 16 nations in the eligible member states to enter the contest. These countries include Angola, Botswana, Comoros, DR Congo, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
What Should the Essay Cover?
All school candidates should deeply showcase and demonstrate critical thinking by focusing:
- The currently level of industrialization in SADC
- Essay should cover SADC efforts to promote industrialization
- National and regional strategies
- Challenges in adopting innovation and how to overcome them.
- The role of innovation in driving competitiveness in the SADC region.
The limit words of each essay must be between 900- 1000 words in English, and if your language is French (Portuguese is 1100-1200 words and add all contact information in the cover page and a detailed signed hard copy.
Prizes and Recognition
Regional Level Awards
- 1st Prize: $1,500 + Certificate
- 2nd Prize: $1,000 + Certificate
- 3rd Prize: $750 + Certificate
The top 3 winners will be invited to receive awards at the SADC Summit.
National Level Awards
- 1st Prize: $500
- 2nd Prize: $300
- 3rd Prize: $200
All national winners receive certificates signed by both the Minister of Education and the SADC Executive Secretary.
How to Apply
- Students must submit their essay through the school head teacher and Ministry of Education in their home country
- The Ministries will select the top 3 national essay
- The essay must be sent to the SADC secretariat, and regional winners will be selected by an expert in the industry.
All competition entries should be typed in words, and have been authorized and signed by students attached with a passport photo, proof nationality and country of residence, bank information, and contact details.
Deadline
The final deadline for entries to reach the SADC Secretariat is:
31 May 2025 at 23:59
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