The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic) will once again place South Africa at the centre of Africa’s growing space governance discourse when it hosts the 17th Africa Regional Round of the Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court Competition at Casa Toscana Convention Centre in Pretoria from 25–26 May 2026
Hosted annually under the auspices of the International Institute of Space Law, the Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court Competition remains the premier academic competition in the field of outer space law, challenging university law students to argue complex hypothetical disputes before a simulated International Court of Justice.
Now in its 17th year on the continent, following the successful 16th edition hosted in South Africa in 2025, the 2026 edition will once again bring together some of the continent’s brightest emerging legal minds from South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, and Zimbabwe, all competing for the honour of representing the continent at the world finals later this year in Türkiye during the International Astronautical Congress.
The regional rounds are convened by the dtic in partnership with the South African National Space Agency (SANSA). The agency is proud to be a strategic partner of this event that aligns with the mandate of building capacity for space on the continent and bringing space science and technology to the centre of government policy and governance.
The 2026 edition will be held under the theme “Empowering Africa’s future in Space Governance for Sustainable Space Activities”. The topic underscores the continent’s strategic imperative to strengthen legal, policy, regulatory, and institutional capacity to participate meaningfully in the global space economy. It further highlights the role of space technology in advancing socio-economic development, supporting industrialisation, strengthening the implementation of the African Union space policy and strategy, and ensuring a stronger continental voice in global space governance.
The 2026 edition builds on the momentum generated by the 2025 competition, which was held under the theme “Africa Space Law for Global Solidarity and Equality,” reflecting South Africa’s continued commitment to multilateral cooperation, responsible innovation, and the peaceful use of outer space.
The winning team from the 2025 regional rounds, Strathmore University, made history by becoming the first Kenyan institution to represent the continent at the global finals, where they advanced to the semi-finals in Sydney, a milestone that underscored the growing competitiveness of African institutions in global space law discourse.
In addition to participating teams, the competition will feature a distinguished panel of judges drawn from across the globe, including Canada and several African countries, further reinforcing the international stature and credibility of the regional rounds.
The Chief Director of Space Affairs at the dtic and Africa Regional Coordinator for the competition, Ms Nomfuneko Majaja, said the continued growth of the initiative reflects the continent’s determination to position itself at the centre of shaping global space governance, particularly in addressing pressing global challenges such as climate change, food security, resource management, and water security.
“As we host the 17th African Regional Round, we are not merely convening a moot court competition—we are investing in the continent’s strategic future in outer space governance, innovation, and international legal scholarship. This year’s topic reflects the need to strengthen Africa’s human capital, institutional capacity, and regulatory frameworks to harness space technology for industrialisation, socio-economic development, scientific advancement, and sustainable growth,” she says.
“The success of last year’s participants, particularly Strathmore University’s historic progression to the global semi-finals, demonstrates that the continent possesses the talent, intellect, and vision required to influence the future of international space law. Through this platform, we continue to build a pipeline of African legal professionals who will one day draft policy, negotiate treaties, regulate commercial space activities responsibly and safely, and ensure that the continent’s interests are represented in global decision-making,” says Majaja.
She adds that previous participants of the Competition have already begun to engage across various segments of the space economy, demonstrating the competition’s value as a strategic platform for skills development in a sector that increasingly supports daily life, including navigation, communications, earth observation, disaster management, agriculture, and environmental monitoring.
In addition to the oral rounds, participating students will also attend the Africa Space Law Conference at the Department of International Relations and Cooperation from 28–29 May 2026, where they will engage policymakers, academics, regulators, and industry leaders on contemporary developments in international space governance.
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Issued by: The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic)
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