Application Deadline: 31st May 2023.
In 1996 the Council of Ministers approved the established of the annual SADC Secondary School Essay Competition to support the process of regional co-operation and integration in the Region. The SADC Secretariat is pleased to announce the launch of the 2023 SADC Secondary School Essay Competition.
Eligibility Requirements
- All secondary school going students from all 16 Southern African Development Community (SADC) Member States are welcome to participate in the Competition.
TOPIC
The topic for the 2023 SADC Secondary School Essay competition is; “How can SADC promote Industrialisation for inclusive, resilient and sustainable economic growth?”.
The topic is derived from the theme of the 42nd Ordinary SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government held by the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kinshasa on 17th August 2022, which is; “Promoting industrialisation through, agro-processing, mineral beneficiation, and regional value chains for inclusive and resilient economic growth”. The Summit theme seeks to accelerate the implementation of the SADC Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) 2020–2030, in particular, the Industrialisation and Market Integration pillar.
Prize
The winning entry will receive a once off prize money which will cover the outright payment of the Intellectual Property Rights of the essay. The monetary prize will be accompanied by a certificate signed by the SADC Chairperson.
The prizes at regional level are as follows;
- 1st prize = USD1500
- 2nd Prize = USD1000
- 3rd Prize = USD750 the top 10 winners will all receive certificates signed by the SADC Chairperson.
- The top three (3) winners travel to the Member States hosting the SADC Summit to receive their prizes during the official opening ceremony.
- The prizes at national level are as follows;
- – 1st prize = USD500
– 2rd Prize = USD300
– 3rd Prize = USD200 the top 3 winners will all receive certificates signed by the Minister of Education and the SADC Executive Secretary.
Application Instruction
To this end, the SADC Secretariat is calling for submissions of essay entries from active Secondary school going learners. The wording of the think piece and content should aim at addressing the topic and at the same time promoting the SADC’s Objectives and Common Agenda.
- All entries should be typed and submitted in electronic version in Microsoft Word document format, and in hard copies.
- Entrants should sign and initialise each page of the hard copy document to make sure that they have not been altered.
- All essays entering the competition should be in one of the SADC working languages, i.e. English, Portuguese and French.
- All submissions must be accompanied with a SADC Secondary School Essay Competition Entry Form which should contain full contact details of the entrant, including, passport-sized photograph, physical address, telephone, fax number and email address; and contact details of the entrant’s parent or guardian. Note: The essay should be 1000 and not shorter than 900 words.
- The deadline for submission of entries to the Secretariat is 31st May 2023.
- Essays are coordinated by the Ministries of Education in all respective SADC Member States and will set out a date for submission of entries to their offices. It is the responsibility of Government officials in SADC Member States to submit the top 3 essays to SADC Secretariat for adjudication at regional level.
- Learners should liaise with their School Heads to submit their entries to the Ministries of Education in their respective SADC Member States. The Secretariat will not accept entries from individuals and as such those entries will be disregarded and disqualified.
For More Information:
Visit the Official Webpage of the SADC Secondary School Essay Competition 2023
