Welcome Remarks 17th Africa Regional Round of the Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court Competition Pretoria, South Africa | 25–26 May 2026

Good Morning,
Jambo,
Karibu,
Muli mutya,
Muraho,

And a very warm South African welcome to all our distinguished guests, judges, faculty advisors, coaches, students, and delegates joining us from across Africa and beyond.

We extend a special welcome to our distinguished judges from Canada, Uganda, Botswana, Kenya, and South Africa, and to all participating teams representing Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, Zimbabwe, and South Africa.

It is indeed both an honour and a privilege for South Africa to once again host the 17th Africa Regional Round of the Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court Competition, coinciding with the important celebration of Africa Day — a significant moment in the calendar of our continent, symbolising African unity, cooperation, resilience, and shared aspirations for development and prosperity.

The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic), in partnership with the South African National Space Agency (SANSA) and industry stakeholders, is proud to once again place South Africa at the centre of Africa’s growing discourse on space governance, policy, regulation, and capacity building.

Hosted annually under the auspices of the International Institute of Space Law (IISL), the Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court Competition remains the premier global academic competition in the field of international space law. The competition challenges university law students to engage with complex and contemporary hypothetical disputes before a simulated International Court of Justice.

Now in its 17th year on the African continent, following the successful hosting of the 16th edition in South Africa in 2025, this year’s competition once again brings together some of the continent’s brightest emerging legal minds, all competing for the honour of representing Africa at the world finals to be held later this year in Türkiye during the International Astronautical Congress (IAC).

This year’s edition is convened under the theme:

“Empowering Africa’s Future in Space Governance for Sustainable Space Activities”

This theme reflects the continent’s growing strategic imperative to strengthen legal, policy, regulatory, scientific, and institutional capacity to participate meaningfully in the rapidly evolving global space economy.

It further underscores the important role that space technologies continue to play in addressing socio-economic challenges across the continent, including climate change, agriculture, disaster management, water security, communications, navigation, industrialisation, and environmental sustainability.

The 2026 edition builds on the strong momentum generated by the 2025 competition, hosted under the theme “Africa Space Law for Global Solidarity and Equality.”,which was during year that SA hosted G20.

We remain encouraged by the remarkable achievements of previous participants, particularly Strathmore University of Kenya, which became the first Kenyan institution to advance to the semi-finals at the global finals in Sydney — a milestone demonstrating Africa’s growing competitiveness and intellectual contribution within global space governance discourse.

Importantly, many former participants and winners from institutions such as the University of Pretoria, the University of Calabar, and Midlands State University have already begun contributing meaningfully across various segments of the space economy and governance environment. This demonstrates the strategic value of this competition as a long-term investment in Africa’s human capital and future leadership in outer space governance.

As the Department responsible for space policy and regulation in South Africa, the dtic remains committed to supporting responsible and peaceful uses of outer space, strengthening Africa’s participation within international space governance processes, and promoting inclusive industrial development and innovation within the sector.

The partnership with SANSA in hosting this programme reflects a shared commitment towards continental capacity building, scientific advancement, and strengthening Africa’s collective voice in global multilateral space governance processes.

In addition to the oral rounds, participating students will also attend the African Space Policy and Law Conference to be hosted at the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) from 28–29 May 2026, where policymakers, academics, regulators, and industry leaders will deliberate on emerging developments in international space governance, regulation, sustainability, and industrial development.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

As we gather here today, we are reminded that Africa’s future in outer space governance will not only depend on technology and infrastructure, but equally on strong legal minds, sound policy frameworks, international cooperation, and visionary leadership.

This competition therefore represents far more than a legal exercise. It is an investment in Africa’s future leadership, diplomacy, innovation, governance, and sustainable development within the global space arena.

We wish all participating teams the very best during the competition and trust that your participation will strengthen not only your academic and professional growth, but also the long-term development of Africa’s space governance ecosystem.

Welcome to South Africa.
Welcome to Pretoria.
And welcome to the 17th Africa Regional Round of the Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court Competition.

I thank you.