Windhoek: The 2026 Southern African Development Community (SADC) Media Awards Competition was officially launched on Monday. The SADC Secretariat issued a call for submissions from potential entrants across all 16 member states, urging them to submit their work through their respective National Adjudication Committees (NACs).According to Namibia Press Agency, the awards, which were approved by the SADC Council of Ministers in 1995, aim to recognize outstanding media work within the region. The competition, which has been coordinated by the Secretariat since 1996, seeks to encourage media personnel to play a pivotal role in disseminating information about SADC, thus supporting regional cooperation and integration efforts.The competition is divided into four categories: print journalism, radio journalism, television journalism, and photojournalism. Entries must have been published or broadcast between January and December 2025 by a registered or authorized media house in a SADC Member State. The themes of t he entries should focus on promoting Regional Integration within the SADC region, covering areas such as infrastructure, economy, water, culture, sports, and agriculture.Print submissions are required to be between 100 and 2,000 words, while radio entries should range from one to 30 minutes. Television submissions are expected to be between one and 45 minutes. Broadcast material must be submitted on CD or USB, along with an electronic transcript for translation purposes.All entries must reach the respective National Adjudication Committee (NAC) by 29 February 2026. First prize winners in each category will receive USD 2,500, while runner-ups will be awarded USD 1,000. The winners will be announced during the 46th SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government. The decision of the Regional Adjudication Committee (RAC) shall be final.