Namibia’s Juliette selected for SA music competition
Thirteen-year-old Namibian pianist Juliette Nel has been selected to compete in the 2026 Hubert van der Spuy National Music Competition in Stellenbosch, South Africa, where she will represent Namibia among 47 young musicians from across Southern Africa.
The annual competition, now in its 37th year, takes place from 22 to 26 September at Stellenbosch University’s Endler and Fismer Halls. It is organised by the Tygerberg branch of the South African Society of Music Teachers (SASMT).
Nel is the competition’s only Namibian participant. She will compete in the piano category alongside young musicians from KwaZulu-Natal, the Western Cape and Gauteng.
The competition was first held in 1989 and was inspired by Professor Hubert van der Spuy, a respected South African music educator and former chairperson of the SASMT’s Tygerberg branch.
It has since developed into a major platform for young musicians aged 13 and under, providing participants with opportunities to perform before experienced adjudicators and gain competitive performance experience.
Previous winners have gone on to pursue music studies at tertiary level and establish careers as performers and educators, with some later returning to the competition as members of the jury.
The 2026 adjudicators are Pamela Kierman, Jeanne-Louise Moolman and Waldo Weyer.
The competition continues its collaboration with the Stellenbosch University Department of Music, which began in 2024.
Professor Mario Nell, representing the department, said the university was proud to host the event and support opportunities that help develop young musicians. “Opportunities such as these play an indispensable role in nurturing the next generation of South African musicians,” he said.
The competition’s chairperson, Hilda Boonzaaier, said the event recognised the efforts of young musicians, their teachers and families.
The competition offers cash prizes exceeding R100 000, with participants competing for top honours during the week.
The opening ceremony and first three competition rounds are open to the public free of charge. The final, presented as a gala concert, will be streamed online on 26 September at 15:00, while audiences can also attend the live performance at the Endler Hall.
The competition is patronised by Dr Marlene le Roux, a South African disability and women’s rights activist and chief executive of the Artscape Theatre Centre in Cape Town.
For Nel, being selected as Namibia’s sole representative provides an opportunity to perform on a national platform alongside some of the country’s most promising young musicians.
