Open Call for SADC Media Awards 2025

The SADC Media Awards are open to journalists from the SADC Member States. The Awards were established in 1996 to recognise best media work in disseminating information on SADC to support the process of regional co-operation, integration and development in the SADC region.

Categories

• Print Journalism:
  • Comprising features/articles published in newspapers, newsletters, websites, magazines.
  • Print Journalism submissions should have a minimum of 100 (one hundred words and a maximum of 2000 (two thousand) words.
• Radio Journalism:
  • Comprising broadcast material.
  • Radio Journalism broadcast material should have a minimum duration of 1 (one) minute and a maximum of 30 (thirty) minutes. All broadcast material should be submitted on a CD or USB. The entries should be accompanied by electronic transcript in word format for translation purposes.
• Television Journalism:
  • Comprising televised material.
  • Broadcast material should have a minimum duration of 1 (one) minute and a maximum of forty-five (45) minutes. All broadcast material should be submitted on a CD or USB. The entries should be accompanied by electronic transcript in word format for translation purposes.
• Photojournalism:
  • Comprising published pictures with a caption.
  • Photographic entries should have one (1) photo, or a pictorial spread of not more than twenty (20) photos published in one issue/edition. Each entry must be accompanied by an original newspaper in which photos were published.

Award Prize

• The Awards will include Print, Radio, Television and Photojournalism. Each category carries a first prize of US$2,500.
• The runner-ups in each category will receive a second prize of US$1000.

Eligibility Criteria

• The entries should have been published/broadcast between January and December the year preceding the awards (2024) by a registered and/or authorized media house or agency or carried on a website of a registered and/or authorized media house or agency in any of the SADC Member States.
• The themes of the entries to be submitted for the competition must be on issues and activities promoting Regional Integration in the SADC region, i.e. infrastructure, economy, water, culture, sports, agriculture, etc.
• All media practitioners who are SADC nationals may enter the competition, except those in institutions contracted by SADC and the SADC Secretariat staff.
• All works entering the competition should be in one of the SADC working languages, i.e. English, Portuguese, French and any national indigenous language of the SADC Region and should be submitted together with the transcript in one of the three SADC working languages, i.e. English, French and Portuguese. These should be published/broadcast (newspaper cutting, websites, magazines, audio CDs, USB and newsletters.)
• All submissions must be made strictly on the SADC Media Award Entry Form and should contain full contact details of the entrant, including, passport-sized photograph, physical address, telephone and, where applicable, fax number and e-mail address.

Selection Criteria

• Entries will be initially screened and judged by the National Adjudication Committee in each Member State, which will select the best entry in each of the four categories to be forwarded to the Regional Adjudication Committee (RAC), through the SADC Secretariat.
• Selection of the best regional entries will be decided upon by the RAC.
• The decision of the RAC shall be final.
• The first prize winners will be announced and receive their prizes during the 45th SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government.

For more information, visit SADC.