ZIMSEC hosted a four-day Southern African Association for Educational Assessment (SAAEA) Research Forum at the Cresta Churchill, in Bulawayo from the 13th to the 16th of April 2026. The high-level gathering brought together assessment specialists, research managers, and education practitioners from across the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region. The forum served as a key technical platform to advance research, align regional policies, and benchmark evaluation methodologies.
SAAEA Member Associations and Country Representation
SAAEA is structurally comprised of 11 distinct examining boards operating across 9 primary member nations.
| Country | Primary Examining and Assessment Boards |
| Zimbabwe | Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (ZIMSEC) |
| Botswana | Botswana Examinations Council (BEC) |
| Eswatini | Examinations Council of Eswatini (ECESWA) |
| Lesotho | Examinations Council of Lesotho (ECOL) |
| South Africa | Umalusi (Council for Quality Assurance in General and Further Education and Training) & Department of Basic Education (DBE) |
| Namibia | Directorate of National Examinations and Assessment (DNEA) |
| Zambia | Examinations Council of Zambia (ECZ) |
| Malawi | Malawi National Examinations Board (MANEB) |
| Tanzania | National Examinations Council of Tanzania (NECTA) |
Core Objectives of the 2026 Research Forum
The forum operates as the technical implementation arm of the broader SAAEA strategy, focusing on several specific regional targets:
- Policy Translation: Converting high-level policy proposals into practical research guidelines.
- Regional Benchmarking: Comparing and aligning assessment practices among SADC member states.
- System Harmonisation: Enhancing the recognition of student qualifications across regional borders.
- Learner Mobility: Strengthening system standards to ease student movement between regional institutions.
Official Opening – High-Level Ministerial Address
The forum was officially opened by Zimbabwe’s Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Professor Torerayi Moyo.
| Key Theme | Minister’s Policy Directives |
| System Alignment | Urged SADC nations to systematically align their educational assessments to boost regional quality. |
| Unified Defense | Called for total regional cooperation to eradicate examination leakages collectively. |
| Dynamic Frameworks | Demanded that testing mechanisms evolve to match modern societal and technological needs. |
