SADC Public Outreach Song

In 2018, the Communication and Public Relations Unit (C&PRU) launched a competition for a SADC Public Outreach Song as part of its implementation of the Revised SADC Communication and Promotional Strategy and in response to a SADC Council Decision where Secretariat was urged to come up with innovative ways to enhance awareness of the SADC identity, brand and community building symbols.

A Zambian national, Mr Chisenga Katongo emerged the winner for his Hip Hop song titled “SADC – Throw your hands up” out of 27 artists from 9 SADC Member States who participated in the competition.

Mr Katongo received a prize of US$4000 and travelled to Dar es Salaam, the United Republic of Tanzania to perform the song live during the Official Opening ceremony of the SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government on 17th August 2019.

The SADC Public Outreach song competition was launched in October 2018 and closed on 22nd February 2019 and participating artists were from Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Music provide impactful formats of relaying information about an organization or product, hence the SADC Secretariat decided to launch the public outreach song to educate, and inform about SADC.