Learners travelled from as far as Graaff-Reinet, Lutzville and Porterville to take part in the second edition of Nou Praat Jy!, South Africa’s national school Afrikaans public speaking competition.

The competition was held at Curro Durbanville High School on 30 July 2026 and formed part of the school’s Kultura-fees.

This year’s theme, Kyk Noord!, asked learners to look ahead. Last year’s competition marked 100 years of Afrikaans, while the 2026 edition shifted the focus to the future through paired speeches presented in duet format.

Speaking in living Afrikaans

Organisers Joline de Klerk and Maritsa Smit, Afrikaans teachers at Curro Durbanville, said, ‘In a world crowded with opinions and noise, the ability to think for yourself and to express those thoughts clearly and confidently matters more than ever. Competitions like Nou Praat Jy! give learners exactly that opportunity, in a language as rich and diverse as the country in which it is spoken.’

They added, ‘What makes this competition different is simple: We ask participants to speak in the Afrikaans that lives within them, not the Afrikaans found in a textbook.’

The duet format encouraged a conversational style and allowed regional dialects to come through during the speeches.

Winners across four categories

The competition was contested across two age categories, namely Juniors for Grades 8 and 9, and Seniors for Grades 10 to 12. Learners competed in Afrikaans Home Language and First Additional Language divisions, with winning teams in each category receiving R10 000.

In the Junior First Additional Language division, Curro Somerset West’s Mia van Tubbergh and Ayla Daniël-Ramouthar finished first, with Curro Durbanville’s Aisha Gaibe and Annabella Stam in second place.

Hoër Volkskool Graaff-Reinet won the Junior Home Language division through Margite van der Merwe and Zoë Campher. Hoërskool Overberg’s Mia Odendaal and Talitha van den Heever finished second, while Hoërskool Parel Vallei’s Berné Peters and Alexander Mac Gillivray placed third.

Curro Durbanville won the Senior First Additional Language division through Ngcali Dantile and Maddison-Mae Alexander. Hoërskool Parel Vallei’s Reiley Capes and Darren Tobias finished second, with Curro Somerset West’s Nahum Christians and Xara-Leigh Johnson in third.

In the Senior Home Language division, Hoërskool Porterville’s Néca Damon and Hadlii Strauss took first place. Hoër Volkskool Graaff-Reinet’s Mia Prinsloo and Mikha Enslin placed second, while Hoërskool Lutzville’s Zyla Kate Smit and Lisa Rossouw finished third.

Individual speakers recognised

Individual awards went to Mia van Tubbergh, who was named Best Junior First Additional Language Speaker, while Ngcali Dantile and Maddison-Mae Alexander were named joint Best Senior First Additional Language Speakers.

Talitha van den Heever received the award for Best Junior Home Language Speaker, and Anja Muller was named Best Senior Home Language Speaker.

Nou Praat Jy! formed part of Curro Durbanville’s Kultura-fees, which includes performances by Albert Pretorius, Schalk Joubert, Margit Meyer-Rödenbeck, Deon van Zyl, Alfred Adriaan, Francois van Coke and Karen Zoid with Anton Eloff.