Pretoria

Contact Person Amanda Swanepoel
Email saceepta@gmail.com

SACEE PRETORIA BRANCH

Reflecting on 2025, it is with pride, dedication and innovation that we have rebuilt the Pretoria Branch and will continue to strive for learner participation and quality events that will promote their English language skills.  We concluded a very succesful Spelling Bee Competiton as well as the Creative Writing Challange in 2025.  

What to expect in 2026:  We are excited to announce that entries for our OPEN MIC Poetry Competition have already been received and we look forward to a high standard of poetry from our FET learners.  All relevent information pertaining to the competition is in the document below, together with entry forms and membership forms.  Entries close on 20 February 2026, with the gala evening being held on 6 March 2026.  This event will showcase the TOP 10 learners in their respective categories, i.e. Grade 10, 11 & 12, competing for the Golden Mic and prizes galore.

Get Involved with SACEE and take part in branch and national competitions! 

If you or your school is not yet on our mailing list or you wish to find out more information, please send an email through to saceepta@gmail.com.

If you would like to assist with our initiatives, participate in projects, register here to join the SACEE Community .

🎤 ENTRIES ARE NOW OPEN FOR 2027! 🎤

🌟 Let your creativity shine and your voice be heard! 🌟

Are you ready to share your talent with the world? Put pen to paper, bring your imagination to life, and let your words make an impact!

🎤 HOW IT WORKS

  1. Write your own original poem by choosing one of the listed topics.
  2. Bring your poem to life! Recite your poem and record yourself from the waist up.
  3. Label your video clearly with your Name, Surname, Age, School, Grade, and the Title of your Poem.
  4. Submit your entry by uploading your video or emailing it, as instructed on the entry form.

📅 ENTRIES CLOSE: 22 FEBRUARY 2027

Don’t miss this wonderful opportunity to showcase your creativity, confidence, and love of poetry!

📥 Download the entry form here for full details and submission instructions.

✨ Find your voice. Share your words. Let your talent shine! ✨ 

2026 CREATIVE WRITING COMPETITION
ENTRIES ARE NOW CLOSED! 

The South African Council for English Education (SACEE) – Pretoria Branch would like to extend a huge thank you to all the talented young writers who entered our 2026 Creative Writing Competition! 🖊️📚

We have been delighted to provide a platform for learners to unleash their imaginations, express their unique voices and share their love of the written word.

✍️ THE EXCITEMENT IS BUILDING!

Our young writers have put their creativity, originality and storytelling skills to the test, and we look forward to celebrating their wonderful efforts.

🖊️ RESULTS WILL BE ANNOUNCED SOON!

Keep an eye out for the announcement as we prepare to recognise and celebrate the outstanding talent of our young writers.
A heartfelt thank you to all the participating learners, teachers and SACEE-registered schools for supporting creativity and a love of English.

🖋️ Keep writing. Keep imagining. Keep inspiring! 🖋️

The SACEE Pretoria Branch looks forward to celebrating the voices and creative achievements of our young writers in 2027!

Celebrating the Power of Poetry:

Open Mic 2026

The Pretoria Branch of the South African Council for English Education (SACEE) proudly opened its 2026 programme with our much-anticipated Open Mic Poetry Competition for FET learners.

While we would have loved to welcome more schools, the event brought together talented young poets from Pretoria, Johannesburg and Durban, all of whom delivered outstanding performances. With educators facing increasing workloads and curriculum demands, finding time for extra-mural activities can be challenging. We are therefore particularly grateful to every school, teacher and learner who made the effort to participate.

🌟 A Celebration of Young Talent

The Top 10 contestants in each grade delivered exceptional poetry, demonstrating creativity, confidence and an impressive command of language.

What made the evening particularly special was the wonderful spirit among the participants. As the competition progressed, the young poets became friends, encouraging and supporting one another. The evening was not simply about competing—it was about celebrating a shared love of poetry.

Every contestant went for gold in both preparation and delivery, while the audience brought their own enthusiasm and appreciation for the spoken word. It was truly a remarkable evening.

🏆 And the Winners Went for Gold!  

The winner in each category received their very own Golden Microphone, along with fantastic prizes generously sponsored by:

Bidvest Waltons • Bargains Books • Spur

Spur also generously donated R5 000 in vouchers, helping to make the event even more memorable for our young poets.

Looking to the Future

The success of Open Mic 2026 has shown us the tremendous talent and enthusiasm that exists among our young people.

We hope that future events will attract even more SACEE schools, educators and members, allowing us to grow our reach, strengthen our community and create more opportunities for learners to develop and celebrate their English language and creative talents.

To every learner who took to the microphone, every teacher who encouraged them, every school that participated and every sponsor who supported the event—thank you for helping us make Open Mic 2026 a truly special celebration of poetry.

Keep writing. Keep performing. Keep inspiring. 🎤✨

A. Swanepoel
Pretoria Branch Chair
South African Council for English Education

 

2025 Spelling Bee

 

Pretoria branch initiated and hosted a Spelling Bee competition in August 2025.

Since the event was ‘a first’ it was decided to keep it small, to maximise the success of the event so that we may hold a bigger competition next year.

Approximately 48 primary schools in and around Pretoria were contacted, as the competition catered specifically for Grade 6 & 7 learners.  New memberships were signed and of the 13 schools that replied, approximately 106 entries were received.

 

English HL and English FAL were adjudicated separately with independent Pronouncers and Adjudicators for each category.  The spelling lists for each category also differed, being age- and level appropriate for each category. 

From left to right: Ms Kubheka (Pronouncer). Hope Ngobeni (Scorer), Mrs Heymans (Adjudicator)

 

The event was extremely well supported by the parents, so much so that we had to carry in more chairs to fill the hall. 

The parents were arguably much more competitive than the contestants, which is one thing myself and the MC had to keep an eye on to avoid potentially tricky situations.  To defuse the tension (on occasion) we had fun give-away prizes intermittently, which immediately restored the equilibrium in the room.

 

English HL winners (1st, 2nd and 3rd) with their prizes

 

Some of the English FAL winners with their prizes

 

 

At the close of the event, all the contestants were given an opportunity to sign/hand print/scribble something on the Registration banner, giving the event a personal touch and personalizing it for the contestants as well.
 

 

 

The event was a tremendous success ad also received national coverage on the Good Morning! show on DSTV Channel 147: (8 October 2025)