SACEE’S 2025 NATIONAL SHORT STORY COMPETITION
For the tenth year running, the SACEE SHORT STORY NATIONAL COMPETITION, organised by the SACEE Border Branch Committee, has the pleasure of inviting contributions from schools throughout South Africa.
The competition is open to:
PRIMARY SCHOOLS: Grade 6 and Grade 7 learners.
HIGH SCHOOLS: Grade 8, to Grade 12 learners.
The DEFINITION of a SHORT STORY is an event, (or a series of events), involving a single or small number of characters which develops towards a climax.
Stories could be about ANY TOPIC of choice.
The LENGTH of the short story must be EXACTLY 100 WORDS – including the title.
Closing Date is the 31st of July 2025. Download the entry form here!
The 2024 SACEE 100-WORD SHORT STORY COMPETITION
It was a privilege to judge this year’s SACEE National Short Story Competition. I was drawn into plots with vivid imagery that transported me to fantastical realms, eerie houses, war-torn lands, and deeply personal struggles. We had a total of 667 entries in the 2024 100-Word Short Story Competition. There were 463 entries from Primary Schools and 204 High School entrants. A total of 17 entries received Gold and 64 received Silver Awards.
The Gold and Silver recipients’ work was distinguished by their innovative perspectives and creative language. Their stories were coherent and well-executed, resulting in satisfying resolutions that left no doubt about the outcome. Of all the submissions, a significant portion were more descriptive than narrative, lacking the necessary conflict to qualify as short stories. Furthermore, authors will improve their chances of achieving an award by meticulously editing their work for punctuation and grammar errors, as these significantly impacted the judging process.
These learners deserve recognition for their impressive use of vocabulary, featuring the following words in their stories:
Effulgence – Hollie McLean, Gr 7, Oakhill School
Avaricious – Bohlokwa Oliphant, Gr 9, Creston College
Prognostication – Mila Apostolo, Gr 9, CBC St John’s
Dolorous – Isabella da Silva, Gr 11, The Mountain Cambridge School
These Gold Achievers deserve a special mention for their incredible writing and for tackling relevant topics with maturity and authenticity in their stories:
Drisana Bangeni, Gr 7, Durban Girls’ College
Sara Peters, Gr 7, Star College
Lizalise Vusani, Gr 7, HPPS
By focusing on these key areas, authors can enhance their storytelling skills and increase their chances of success in future competitions:
Style and Clarity
- Reserve exclamation points for moments of high emotion or urgency; overuse can weaken their impact.
- Consider combining simple sentences to create a smoother and more engaging narrative flow.
- Review the rules for direct speech, titles, and ellipses.
Narrative Techniques
- While dependent clauses can create suspense, they should be followed by independent clauses to avoid incomplete sentences and confusion.
- Ensure a cohesive connection between your story’s beginning and conclusion.
In closing, a few words of encouragement for our aspiring authors: continue to write, dream, and create stories that touch hearts and minds.
Congratulations, and we look forward to your school’s entries next year.
STATISTICS
AWARD WINNERS
For competition results kindly click on the link below: