We are pleased to announce that the Call for Presentations for the 2026 Siyaphumelela Conference is now open. As Saide’s flagship national convening focused on data‑informed, equity‑driven student success in South African higher education, the conference continues to bring together a vibrant community of practitioners, institutional leaders, researchers, analysts, students, funders, and partners committed to transforming outcomes across South Africa’s post‑school education sector.

Building on the momentum of last year’s highly successful convening, with more than 450 delegates participating in person, the 2026 conference will take place from 23–26 June 2026 at the Birchwood Hotel & OR Tambo Conference Centre in Johannesburg.

This year, we continue exploring the theme: Reimagining student success and expanding opportunity for all.

We invite institutions, teams and individuals to submit proposals that showcase evidence-based practices, innovative models, student-centred approaches, and collaborative strategies that advance student success at scale. Presentation formats include 90-minute multi‑institutional sessions, 30-minute evidence‑based presentations, 15-minute lightning sharing, Siyaphumelela Network Partner Sharing sessions and the reimagined posters, offering diverse ways to contribute and engage.

Whether you’re sharing robust data, highlighting a new intervention, elevating student voices, or presenting insights from institutional change efforts, your contribution will help shape a national conversation focused on eliminating equity gaps and expanding opportunity for all students.

Proposals are due on 20 April 2026, with further details available in the Call for Presentations.

Important Dates

• 30 March – 6 June: Conference registration open
• 12 March 13h00-14h00: Webinar for interested Conference Presenters
• 20 April Deadline for Presentations to be submitted via EasyChair
• 6 May Deadline for Siyaphumelela Network Partner Sharing (for institutional leads ONLY) to be submitted via EasyChair
• 8 May Notification of Acceptance to all Presenters