Public Speaking

If you’re afraid to speak in public, you’re not alone. A well-known study showed that more people put fear of public speaking at the top of the list of fears, even above the fear of death. At AHMP we believe that if you are armed with practical tools for creating a focused presentation, you would be able to conquer this fear and learn practical ways to hold the audience’s attention.

PUBLIC SPEAKING

Van Huyssteens Oratorical Festival (Gauteng North)
The Van Huyssteens Oratorical Festival challenges learners’ ability to speak impromptu. Participants compete in two categories: English and bilingual. Teams of four have 60 minutes to prepare, while individuals have 45 minutes. In 2024, AHMP excelled with Olivia Lubbe winning the English individual category and Carla Venter, Zea van Wyk, and Me’lize van Zyl taking top spots in the bilingual category. The Grade 9 English team and Grade 10 bilingual team also placed first.

Pretoria Public Speaking Festival
A prestigious annual event where AHMP is the only Afrikaans school competing. Learners research topics based on quotes and deliver speeches in the Best Speakers’ and Teams’ Categories. AHMP has consistently produced top speakers, with Nika Hood (2021), Megan Kruger (2022), and Olivia Lubbe (2023) each receiving the Best Speaker Award. In (2025) the following learners achieved the following results: Liza Marais A++, Isabella da Silva A++, Emma Kruger A+, Cailin Edwards A++.

All Girls Festival
This festival for girls’ schools combines prepared and unprepared speeches with valuable workshops. In 2025, Sandy Prinsloo participated in the Senior category and Nina Broschk in the Junior category.

Four Schools Public Speaking Festival
In this competition with AHS, Pretoria High School for Boys, and Pretoria High School for Girls, AHMP shone in 2024. Sandy Prinsloo and Carina van Schoor placed 1st and 2nd in the Junior category, while Olivia Lubbe earned 2nd in the Senior category.

On the Tip of Your Tongue (Oppie-Tong_Af) Public Speaking Competition
This national event features both English and Afrikaans speakers competing in prepared and unprepared categories. AHMP has seen numerous National winners in recent years.

For more information on Public Speaking, contact Ms. Theresa Pienaar at theresa.pienaar@ahmp.co.za
For Debating, contact Mev. Oertel at michele.oertel@ahmp.co.za