Public Speaking Competition

In 2024, Bishops will celebrate its 175th Birthday. To mark this occasion, we are hosting a Trilingual Prepared Speech Competition across four categories: English, isiXhosa, Afrikaans and a multilingual category. The multilingual speech may consist of the combination of languages the competitor chooses: English/isiXhosa, Afrikaans/isiXhosa, Afrikaans/English or IsiXhosa/Afrikaans/English.

All interested schools in the Western Cape are invited to compete. Interested schools may bring a maximum of four students along with at least one adjudicator who is able to adjudicate in the language most of their students have chosen. Students may enter a maximum of two categories: a single language category and a multilingual category. Students may also choose to enter only one category of their choice.

Speech requirements:
All speeches (irrespective of language): 4-8 mins

The speech should have a clear connection to the theme: “Learning from the past and looking towards the future”.

A maximum of 80 students per category will be accepted: preference will be given to those who apply to compete first. A waiting list will also be kept in the case that a school or a competitor is no longer able to compete.

The competition will take place on the Saturday 17th February at Bishops Diocesan College, Rondebosch.

The programme is as follows:
8.15: Registration
9.00: Welcoming Ceremony and Speakers’ Briefing (Theatre)
9.30: Adjudicator briefing (Theatre)
10.15: Start of Round 1 (Classrooms)
12.00: Complimentary Lunch Served (regular, halaal, kosher and vegan accommodated)
12.30: Announcement of Finalists
13.15: Finals

We are enormously grateful to our sponsor, SYGNIA, for making this event possible.