Deadline Extended: RCMRD Arts & Maps Competition 2026 Now Closes 20 September

Deadline Extended: RCMRD Arts & Maps Competition 2026 Now Closes 20 September

Nairobi, Kenya. Good news for anyone still working on their entry. The submission deadline for the RCMRD Arts & Maps Competition 2026 has been extended to 23:59 EAT on Sunday, 20 September 2026, giving students, professionals, and creatives across 25 African countries extra time to finalise and submit their work.

This year's competition challenges participants to use paintings, drawings, essays, videos, story maps, data dashboards, and web applications to shine a light on biodiversity conservation, forest ecosystems, marine environments, and natural heritage.

Whether you pick up a paintbrush or open a GIS platform, this extended window is your chance to make a local statement with global impact and compete for prizes of up to €16,000.

Who Can Take Part

The competition is open to participants across 25 countries in Eastern and Southern Africa: Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Comoros, Djibouti, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

• There are two categories:

  • School Category — Primary and Secondary school teams (5–15 members per team, submitted by a teacher/patron)

  • Professional Category — University/college students and individual professionals

• What's at Stake

• School Category (per school award)

  • Primary School: €3,000 (School – €2,000, Teacher/Patron – €1,000)

  • High School: €3,000 (School – €2,000, Teacher/Patron – €1,000)

• Professional Category (individual award)

  • Biodiversity Ecosystem: €2,000

  • Seascape Ecosystem: €2,000

  • Forestry Ecosystem: €2,000

• People's Choice (Overall Winner): €4,000

The top 10 entries go to public vote to determine the overall winner. All winners also receive an official RCMRD certificate.

How to Enter Before the New Deadline

• Schools can still submit paintings, drawings, essays, or short videos (no more than 3 minutes). Paintings and drawings must be original (computer-generated graphics are not permitted) and submitted on a minimum of A4 paper, then photographed for upload. Teams may submit as many entries, and mix as many formats, as they like.

• Professionals must submit in one of three formats: a Story Map, a Data Dashboard, or a Map Application, using open geospatial data to inform, inspire, and advocate for the protection of natural resources. At least two datasets from RCMRD's approved sources including the RCoE Geoportal, Protected Planet, the Africa Geoportal, and Living Atlas must be used and documented.

• Entries in both categories are judged on creativity, visual appeal, originality, and how effectively they communicate the competition's conservation theme: Acting Locally for Global Impact.

20 September 2026, 23:59 EAT – New submission deadline

Judges' evaluation period and public poll dates are shifting to accommodate the extension. The updated dates to be confirmed.

All winners will be announced on 17 November 2026 during RCMRD's Governing Council to be Held in Namibia. The winning finalist will travel to Windhoek.

Why It Matters

From classrooms to GIS labs, the Arts & Maps Competition turns creativity into a tool for conservation advocacy, helping young learners and seasoned professionals alike tell powerful stories about the ecosystems that sustain Eastern and Southern Africa. Every painting, dashboard, and story map becomes part of a growing regional voice for biodiversity protection.

Don't miss your extended chance to be part of it. Entries now close at 23:59 EAT on 20 September 2026. Register or finalise your submission today and join creatives across the region in mapping a more sustainable future.

For more details on how to register and submit your entries, log on to https://rcoe-artsandmaps.rcmrd.org/

Note: Intellectual property of all entries remains with participants. RCMRD reserves the right to publish, exhibit, print, or distribute entries through any media.