15 September 2026-Gaborone, Botswana: The Secretariat of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) is pleased to announce the launch of the 2026 SADC Quality Awards competition for companies and individuals in the SADC region.
The SADC Quality Awards were approved in 2009 by the SADC Committee of Ministers of Trade with the aim of encouraging both public and private entities operating in the SADC region, to apply and comply with international standards in their day-to-day operations.
The SADC Quality Awards recognize and appreciate organizations and individuals who are contributing to quality advancement in all sectors of SADC, by having measurement and quality systems, procedures and processes that are in line with local, regional and international practices and who use quality] to support national and regional economic development and growth.
The SADC Quality Awards are in the following five (5) categories.
Category 1: Company of the Year
This category has two awards. One for Large Enterprises and Small and Medium Enterprises. This category awards company or organization that has proactively and effectively implemented quality principles.
Category 2: Product of the Year
This category has two awards. One for Large Enterprises and Small and Medium Enterprises. In this category, awards are given to a product that best reflects a commitment to quality.
Category 3: Service of the Year
This category has two awards. One for Large Enterprises and Small and Medium Enterprises. The awards are given to a locally-delivered service that best reflects a commitment to local production and quality.
Category 4: Exporter of the Year
This category has two awards. One for Large Enterprises and Small and Medium Enterprises. The awards in this category are given to a company or organization that has made significant progress in commencing or expanding exports to new or wider markets by introducing quality in their company.
Category 5: Individual of the Year
This award is given to an individual from the SADC Region who has made significant contribution to the SADC Standards, Quality Assurance, Accreditation and Metrology efforts.
Eligibility
The SADC Quality Awards are open to all companies and individuals from the SADC Member States who have competed in their respective countries in 2026 and are recognised as the winners at national level in the category they are applying at regional level.
Submission of entries
All entries must be submitted electronically by the National Quality Awards Focal Points (NQAFP) by 14 November 2026. Any application after the set deadline will not be considered. Only winners of the national Quality Award competition will be considered to enter the regional competition.
The submission of the dully completed Entry Forms and supporting documents shall be in individual folders clearly identified with the Name of the Country, followed by name of the Company, Product or Service and Category, Large (LE) or Small (SME), as per the following example:
Ex: COUNTRY_PHARMABOLO_POY-LE
Enquiries
Mr. Cesarino Benjamim, Senior Programme Officer, Standards, Quality, Accreditation and Metrology (SQAM) in the Directorate of Industrial Development and Trade at the SADC Secretariat email cbenjamim@sadc.int
Barbara Lopi, Head of Communication and Public Relations Unit or Innocent Mbvundula, Communication and Relations Officer (External) at the SADC Secretariat; email blopi@sadc.int or imbvundula@sadc.int and copy prinfo@sadc.int telephone +267 395 1863.
