To acknowledge excellent performance, the SAOU’s National Executive Council has decided to award schools and members during the forthcoming SAOU National Congress on 24 June 2026.
Every day in the classroom, you show up with courage, passion, and a unique "pattern" of excellence that changes lives. Now, it’s time to step out of the shadows and let that excellence be recognised!
We are thrilled to officially open the call for entries for the SAOU’s National Congress Teacher Awards. This isn’t just an award; it’s a celebration of the fierce dedication you bring to South African education.
We aren’t just giving away trophies. To help fuel your classroom innovation or reward your hard work, winners in our categories will receive:
R10,000 CASH PRIZE
Plus, national recognition at our prestigious Congress Gala.
HOW TO ENTER:
Entering is simple, but the impact is significant. Don't let your hard work go unnoticed—or let a colleague's brilliance stay a secret.
1. Select Your Category: Choose the one that best fits your "stripes."
2. Tell Your Story: Submit a presentation of your achievements over the past year.
3. Submit & stand a chance to win: Send your entry via our portal by 21 April 2026.
IMPORTANT DATES:
- Provincial entries close on 21 April 2026;
- National adjudication will take place from 4–14 May 2026, after which recommendations will be submitted to the National Executive Committee for ratification; and
- The respective category winners will be announced at the SAOU Congress on Wednesday, 24 June 2026.
With 11 diverse categories to choose from, there is a place for every kind of excellence.
Whether you are a digital pioneer, a community hero, or a school that leads by example, we want to see your stripes.
Click on the catagory to view the critria.
- Excellence in Support Services (Therapists, psychologists, social workers, nursing staff);
- Excellence in Administrative Work (School-based members);
- Excellence: Office-based (Members at departmental, district and regional offices);
- Excellence in Classroom Practice: LSEN schools;
- Excellence in Classroom Practice: Foundation Phase (Grades R–3);
- Excellence in Classroom Practice: Intermediate Phase (Grades 4–6);
- Excellence in Classroom Practice: Senior Phase (Grades 7 – 9);
- Excellence in Classroom Practice: FET Phase (Grades 10 – 12);
- Excellence in Educational Leadership: LSEN schools (Any member of the school’s management team may enter);
- Excellence in Educational Leadership: Primary Schools (Any member of the school’s management team may enter); and
- Excellence in Educational Leadership: Secondary Schools (Any member of the school’s management team may enter).
Presentation format details
Send your entry video via our portal by 21 April 2026.
- Your presentation should be submitted in the form of a video.
- The video must be between 20 and 30 minutes in length.
- The content of your video presentation must address the criteria of the relevant category.
The following information should be clear in your video:
- Your full First Name and Surname
- The Name of your School
- A recent color head-and-shoulders photograph of yourself.
- The specific Award Category you are entering
Tip: Make sure your audio is clear and your lighting is bright! The adjudicators want to see and hear your passion clearly as you showcase your "stripes."
Submit & stand a chance to win
Send your entry video by 21 April 2026.
- A person may enter themselves or be nominated by someone else; however, the nominee must complete and submit the entry themselves.
- Persons employed by the DBE, governing body or an independent school may enter.
- Only active, paid-up members may enter.
- Schools and members who were designated as category winners at the 2023 SAOU Congress Awards may not enter again in the same category.
- SACE registration is a prerequisite for entry.
- Entries must be submitted electronically.
- A separate entry form must be completed for each category.
The adjudication process begins at the provincial level, where selection committees identify winners in each category to move forward. These recommendations are then reviewed by national selection committees to determine a final winner for each award. Ultimately, the National Executive Committee will ratify these selections, and their final decision is binding and not subject to review.