28-30 September 2026

2026 Primary School National Debating Championship

The 2026 National Championship will be held at Collegiate Junior School for Girls, Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth). This event will bring together the top school teams from each of South Africa’s primary school debating leagues.

Schedule

How to Qualify

To be eligible for entry, your team must complete the preliminary rounds of your local league and rank in the top 4 for your age division. There are two divisions: Group C (Grade 6-7) and Group D (Grade 4-5).

Participants in the 2025 Primary School National Championship are automatically requalified.

Venue and Dates

The championship will be held at Collegiate Junior School for Girls, Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth). All debates and socials will be held on their campus.

Teams should arrive at the hotel by 4pm on 28 September and depart on 31 September 2026.

Championship History

1-2 October 2024

@ Bishops, Cape Town

The inaugural NDL Primary National Championship was held at Bishops Diocesan College in Cape Town. This event brought together teams from the Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Northern Cape, and Gauteng.

The Group D finals were won by Robertsham Primary School against Herzlia Weizmann Primary from Cape Town. The Group C finals were won by King Edward VII Preparatory School against Robertsham Primary School from Johannesburg.

Dec 2021

@ Holy Family College, Johannesburg

The second edition of the NDL’s Primary National Championship was held at Holy Family College in Johannesburg. The Junior division was won by The Ridge from Johannesburg against Herzlia Weizmann from Cape Town. The Senior division was won by Qurtuba Islamic Academy from Johannesburg against Stepping Stone Junior School from Komani (Queenstown).

Official Hotel: The Garden Court Kings Beach

🗺️La Roche Dr, Humewood, Gqeberha, 6013

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Participants will stay at the Garden Court Kings Beach. This is a 4 star hotel just meters from the beach.

Twin (Sharing) Rooms

As in 2024, participants will be allocated to sharing rooms.

Green cardstock box containing white, beige, and brown cards.

Breakfast Included

A full buffet breakfast is included.

Green cardstock box open with 50 cards inside.

Daily Shuttles

We will transport all participants between the hotel and Holy Family College each day.

Detail of white today card, beige next card, and brown someday card with dot grid.

Outdoor Pool

The Holiday Inn Sunnyside Park has an outdoor pool overlooking their gardens.

Stack of three green cardstock boxes with 3 hole cutouts showing cards inside.

2025 Competitors

These schools competed at the 2025 edition of the championship. These schools are automatically eligible to enter the same number of teams at the 2026 championship.