African Scrabble have announced a record prize purse of $35,000 for the 2026 Africa Scrabble Championship scheduled to hold in Monrovia, Liberia, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
The Pan African Scrabble Association confirmed that the 16th edition of the championship will take place from October 21 to 25, 2026, with the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Ministerial Complex on Tubman Boulevard set to host Africa’s leading Scrabble players.
It will be the first time Liberia stages the flagship event, which has been held biennially for more than three decades.
Under the revised prize structure, the eventual champion will receive 10,000, representing a 100 per cent increase on the previous top prize and the highest payout ever awarded to an African Scrabble champion.
The runner up will earn $5,000, third place will receive $3,500, fourth place $3,000 and fifth place $2,250.
In another upgrade to the previous editions, the top 20 finishers at the championship will all receive cash rewards.
Historically, prize money at the Africa Scrabble Championship has been limited to only a small number of top placed players, making the expanded payout structure one of the most significant reforms in the competition’s 32 year history.
Organisers also confirmed that the top three finishers will receive specially designed trophies, adding further prestige to podium finishes and reinforcing efforts to raise the profile of the championship across the continent.
Despite the sharp rise in prize money, registration fees for quota players have been retained at 2022 levels. Officials said the decision was taken to encourage broad participation and reduce the financial burden on players.
The Pan African Scrabble Association also revealed that the proposed tournament budget submitted by the National Scrabble Association of Liberia is the largest ever for an Africa Scrabble Championship.
With planning already underway, organisers said arrangements covering visas, accommodation and travel logistics are being fine tuned, while national associations have been urged to circulate full tournament details to eligible players in good time.
The Africa Scrabble Championship was first staged in 1994 and has grown into the continent’s premier Scrabble event, attracting players from across Africa and the diaspora.
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