The Pan African Universities Debate Championship is the biggest intercollegiate debate championship in Africa, Established in 2018 by the University of Botswana Debate Masters Association (UBDMA). It is a competition that provides students from various African universities the opportunity to interrogate issues of African and Global importance.
The competition uses the British Parliamentary format.
The 8 days long resident competition which usually takes place in the first two weeks of December has been hosted in a different country every year, giving students the chance to interact with their peers and progress the sport of debate.
Previous Hosts and Winners
2008: Botswana, Gaborone (University of Botswana) 8-14th December 2008 (Won by the University of Free State, South Africa)
2009: Botswana, Gaborone (University of Botswana) 12-18th December 2009 (Won by the University of Rhodes, South Africa)
2010: Namibia, Windhoek (University of Namibia) 4-11th December 2010 (Won by the University of Witwatersrand, South Africa)
2011: Zimbabwe, Bulawayo (Falcon College) 4-11th December 2011 (Won by the University of Pretoria, South Africa)
2012: South Africa, Pretoria (Tshwane University of Technology) 9-15th December 2012 (Won by the University of Cape Town, South Africa)
2013: Nigeria, Calabar (University of Calabar) November 29- December 8th2013 (Won by the University of Cape Town, South Africa)
2014: South Africa, Polokwane (University of Limpopo) 4-12th December 2014 (Won by the University of Botswana, Botswana)
2015: Ghana, Accra (University of Ghana) 8-17th December 2015 (Won by the University of Witwatersrand, South Africa)
2016: Zimbabwe, Gweru (Midlands State University) 9-17th December 2016 (Won by the University of Witwatersrand, South Africa)
2017: Cameroon, Buea (University of Buea) 7-15th December 2016 (Won by Midlands State University, Zimbabwe)
2018: Tanzania, Dars es Salaam (Won by KNUST, Ghana).