Camaraderie | Mentorship | Growth
2027 All Boys Debating Championship
📅 05-07 March 2027 (9:00 to 19:00 each day)
🗺️ King Edward VII School🎓 Grades 4 to 12
Overview
The Championship Experience
It’s about growth, leadership, and lasting connections.
One Community, Four Divisions
- Group A — Grade 10+
- Group B — Grade 8–9
- Group C — Grade 6–7
- Group D — Grade 4–5
Multiple teams may be entered per division. A team may consist of 3-5 members.
Adjudication Training
We will guide all educators through the adjudication process, ensuring a standard set of rules is applied across the competition. This will enhance also the educator’s ability to coach their students.
Become a Mentor
Are you an experienced debater? Sign up to become a mentor to a Junior team. Impart experience, support them through the highs and lows, and share your passion.
5 Rounds of Competition
All teams will compete in a minimum of 5 rounds of debate.
Official Hotel: Holiday Inn Johannesburg Sunnyside Park
🗺️Princess of Wales Terrace Cnr Carse O Gowrie, Sunnyside Dr, &, Johannesburg, 2041
Participants will stay at the Holiday Inn Sunnyside Park. This was also our official hotel for the 2024 Pan-African Debating Championship.
This is a 4 star hotel and a recognised as a Heritage site, with national monument status. The surrounding residential areas are filled with Heritage homes and include numerous Herbert Baker designed homes.
Twin (Sharing) Rooms
As in 2024, participants will be allocated to sharing rooms.
Breakfast Included
A full buffet breakfast is included.
Daily Shuttles
We will transport all participants between the hotel and Holy Family College each day.
Outdoor Pool
The Holiday Inn Sunnyside Park has an outdoor pool overlooking their gardens.
Registration Information
Can’t find the answer you’re looking for? Reach out to our thishin@ndl.org.za.
- Registration Fees for Out-of-Town Teams
- Pricing is per person and depends on how many occupants you allocate to a room.
- When individuals share rooms, the price is ZAR 7,000 per person. When an individual has a room to themselves, it is ZAR 10,000 per person.
- Joburg-based teams pay a lower registration rate per person. Their package excludes accommodation and some meals. They should contact us directly for more information.
- What is included in the registration fee?
- ✅ Participation
- ✅ Hotel bookings - Check-in on 05 March and Check-out on 08 March
- ✅ Return airport shuttles
- ✅ All meals starting with dinner on 05 March to breakfast on 08 March
- ✅ Shuttles between the official hotel and KES
- ✅ A sightseeing tour
- ✅ Tournament merchandise
- ✅ Training Resources
- ✅ Access to event socials
- What is excluded?
- ❌ Transportation to Johannesburg (flights, busses, etc)
- What if our team needs training?
- We are able to arrange an online coach from our South African network. A typical coach charges ZAR 350 per hour of training. Arrangements (hours, final pricing, payment) should be arranged directly with the coach.
- How do we register?
- Go to https://admin.ndl.org.za/register to sign up. The registration platform will require you to create an account and verify your email address.
Testimonials regarding NDL events
Participating in this made me get out of my comfort zone and challenge myself but it also helped me improve many skills such as public speaking, convincing an audience with strong points to enhance my idea and motion, thinking and working fast and under pressure... I discovered something that I did not know I enjoyed until then and it gave me the opportunity to be around people my age with similar interests, and have a good time with friends while learning.
Ayisha Adriano, Maputo
Debating has shown me that there isn't a direct answer to a problem. You have to think carefully about how you answer and how you can persuade people to believe what you say.
Adam Roussou, Cape Town
The children thoroughly enjoyed the tournaments, where they had the opportunity to meet peers and teachers from other schools. The diverse and engaging topics encouraged them to deepen their general knowledge and think critically about various issues. Through debating, they developed important skills such as public speaking, critical thinking, and teamwork.
Aqeela Ahmed, Johannesburg