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Empowering Africa’s brightest young minds through literacy, leadership, confidence, and academic excellence.
The African Spelling Bee was founded in 2016 through the collaboration of pioneering spelling bee organizations from Botswana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.
Later that same year, the first African Spelling Bee Championship was hosted in Johannesburg, South Africa, bringing together 27 national champions from across the continent in a historic celebration of literacy, education, and the African child.
What began as a shared vision among a small group of literacy advocates has evolved into a powerful pan-African movement reaching millions of learners through national spelling competitions, teacher development initiatives, reading interventions, and educational programs.
Today, the African Spelling Bee stands as one of the continent’s leading academic platforms for young learners — inspiring confidence, excellence, leadership, and cross-cultural connection among Africa’s future leaders.
We envision a continent where every child has access to opportunities that nurture learning, build confidence, and inspire leadership.
“To design and promote a supportive and positive learning platform in which every child has the opportunity to develop life-lasting skills that foster self-confidence, literacy, leadership, and personal growth through spelling bees and educational engagement.“
The African Spelling Bee is more than a championship.
We are a continental literacy movement committed to nurturing the intellectual potential of African children and creating opportunities for them to thrive academically and personally.
Through collaboration with national spelling bee organizations, schools, educators, parents, and partners across Africa, we provide engaging educational experiences that help learners build:
We believe that every child deserves the opportunity to discover their voice, unlock their potential, and contribute meaningfully to Africa’s future.
Together with our member nations and literacy partners, the African Spelling Bee has reached and impacted over 10 million learners across the continent through:
Our growing network continues to expand educational opportunities for children in urban communities, rural schools, and underserved regions across Africa.
22+
Member Nations
7.3m+
Students Reached
The African Spelling Bee is powered by a growing network of national spelling bee organizations, education leaders, and literacy advocates across Africa.
From West Africa to East Africa, Southern Africa to the Horn of Africa, member nations work together to promote literacy, academic excellence, leadership development, and cultural exchange among young learners.
Each participating country organizes national competitions that culminate in representation at the continental African Spelling Bee Championship — creating a truly pan-African platform for celebrating the brilliance of African children.
Spelling bees do far more than test vocabulary.
They help learners develop discipline, focus, resilience, communication skills, and a lifelong appreciation for reading and learning.
Participation in spelling bee programs has been shown to improve:
For many children, the spelling bee platform becomes a transformative experience that shapes their future aspirations and leadership journey.
We Are Also Open To More Partnerships & Sponsorships
