1. Eligibility:

All secondary/high school going students from all 16 Southern African Development Community (SADC) Member States are welcome to participate in the Competition.

2. Topic:

In 1980 the SADC Founders officially formed the Southern African Development Coordination Conference (SADCC), in Lusaka, Zambia which was later transformed into SADC on 17th August 1992 in Windhoek, Namibia. Since its inception SADC has demonstrated unwavering commitment to peace, stability, and security in the region through adoption of several instruments aimed at ensuring peace and stability, as preconditions for socio-economic development.

The topic for the 2024 SADC Secondary School Essay competition is; “How can Human and Financial Capital drive Industrial Development in the SADC Region?"

The topic is derived from the theme of the 43rd Ordinary SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government held in Luanda, Republic of Angola, on 17th August 2023, which is; “Human and Financial Capital: The Key Drivers for Sustainable Industrialisation in the SADC Region”. The theme seeks to address two of the most critical enablers in supporting regional industrialisation, namely adequate human resources in terms of numbers and technical capacity within the context of climate change and 4th Industrial Revolution, and adequate financial resources to ensure more sustainable funding mechanisms.

3. Instructions

The essay must contain a maximum of 1000 words and a minimum of 900 words in English, and a maximum of 1200 words and a minimum of 1100 words in French and Portuguese. Essays that do not comply with the permissible number of words will not be considered. A complete word count must be provided at the end of the essay. Learners must provide references for their work where necessary; however, references do not contribute towards the word count of the entry. The preferred format of citation is APA. To facilitate simple sequencing, each answer must be accompanied by the question at the top. Learners are cautioned against using the bullet point format for their work.

The deadline for submission of entries to the Department of Basic Education is 19 April 2024. 

ALL entries must be typed and submit in electronic version in Microsoft Word and in hard copies. Entrants should sign and initial 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 contain full names, contact details of the entrant, name of school and province.

4. Marking Guidelines:

The set of questions below are meant to guide entrants when responding to the question above. In answering the question above, secondary school learners should ensure that they address the questions listed below in their essays;

1. What is human and financial capital and why is it important for industrial development? (20 points)
2. SADC continues to undertake its activities and initiatives, especially those that encourage industrialisation. How does access to financial resources impact the growth of industries in the SADC region? (20 points)
3. Pillar III on Social and Human Capital Development in the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) 2020-2030 is essential to industrialisation and regional integration and ensures human-centered, inclusive, and sustainable socio-economic development. Give examples of how the SADC region can invest in human resources to foster industrial growth. (20 points) 
4. Social and human capital development is crucial for SADC to fulfil its goals of regional integration, economic growth, and citizen well-being. Discuss the role of human capital in promoting industrial development. (20 points)
5. Discuss any ideas or approaches to enhance the region's industrial development without over reliance on International Cooperation Partners (ICPs) and donors contributions. (20 points).