South African Classrooms Turn Up the Volume as National Chakalaka Challenge Gains Momentum
Midday breaks and music classrooms across South Africa are filling with sound as thousands of students get creative for the Chakalaka Challenge, a nationwide campaign encouraging schools to showcase their musical spirit.
The seven-week Chakalaka Challenge invites schools, classes and student groups to put their own spin on Boom Chakalaka, an original track from music education platform The Ear Academy.
From full-class body percussion routines and instrumental covers to dance choreography and original vocal and dance remixes, the initiative is designed to celebrate participation and creativity rather than technical perfection.
Bringing music back into the classroom
Beyond the excitement online and in classrooms, the Chakalaka Challenge is also drawing attention to the importance of arts and culture education in South African schools.
Organisers say that when school budgets come under pressure, arts and culture programmes can be among the first areas to face cuts. The campaign aims to give schools an opportunity to participate in music-making while highlighting some of the challenges around resources for music education.
Schools taking part can access downloadable music stems and follow simple entry guidelines, allowing students to create performances using the resources available to them.
The initiative is therefore not only about competition, but also about encouraging young people to engage with music, creativity and performance.
Schools still have time to enter
Schools, classes and student groups across South Africa can still enter the Chakalaka Challenge by uploading a video or music submission through the official challenge website and sharing it publicly on social media using #ChakalakaChallenge.
Entries must be submitted by 19 September 2026.
The winning school will stand a chance to receive R15,000 worth of new musical instruments, providing additional resources that can support music activities in the classroom.
The campaign brings together education, music and creativity in an effort to encourage wider participation in school music programmes.
The initiative follows a collaboration between The Ear Academy, a music education platform, and a century-old musical instrument retailer, with the partnership focused on supporting and safeguarding music education in South African classrooms.
As more schools join the movement, the Chakalaka Challenge is turning ordinary school spaces into stages and giving students an opportunity to express themselves through music, movement and performance.
