Introduction
Whether it’s judging at your monthly meetings or at Salons, judging is one of the most important club elements, where our members gain knowledge and insight into how to improve their photography and skills, and importantly, how they get rewarded at the relevant judging forums.
As this is such a vital element, the JAP program was developed by the PSSA to train judges to provide consistent, fair, accurate, and helpful advice to our members at the relevant judging forums, thereby creating consistency in judging throughout the regions.
The JAP program has been further developed by a national JAP committee, which includes senior judges from around the country and PSSA Directors.
Alan Nixon (National JAP Committee Chairman), Francois Roux (PSSA 2nd Vice President & Financial Company Secretary), Geoff Feldon (PSSA President), Nicol du Toit (1st Vice President & Regional Director Western Cape), Charmaine Joubert (PSSA Director Competitions), and Anton la Grange (JAP Committee, PSSA Facebook ).
There are two parts to JAP:
- Training
- Accreditation
Training - Next JAP training starts 10 Oct 2026
The national program will run over 12 to 13 sessions via Zoom, with one session per month, ending with an accreditation presentation by the course attendees. Attendees will need to be present at a minimum of 80% of the sessions to qualify for accreditation.
To be eligible to participate in the program, an applicant will need to hold a club ranking of 4 star or higher. Applicants need not be members of the PSSA but must be active members of a PSSA club and commit to judging once they have completed the program and accreditation.
A general application form will be available to download from this section of the PSSA website as of 1st July 2026. The closing date for applications will be 1st August 2026.
The national JAP 26 will commence on 10th October 2026. The committee and regional directors will first verify applications before acceptance into the program. If you are successful, you will be notified of your acceptance before the program starts.
We encourage not only new judges to apply, but existing judges as well, to gain their accreditation and continue their judges’ training. Judging is an ongoing learning process.
The JAP fee is R650
Click on the green links below the green buttons below to download the various training sessions for 2025.
Wildlife & Nature
Presentation not available
due to IP restrictions
Portraiture (59 MB)
Visual Art Part I (to follow)
Accreditation
Accreditation is the formal recognition by the PSSA given to a judge who has completed the JAP and been successful with their judge’s evaluation.
Accreditation can be included when presenting your credentials as a judge.
Accreditation will follow the national JAP and will take place after the JAP has been completed.
If you need any further information about the JAP please contact Alan Nixon or Francois Roux or contact your regional director.
National database of accredited judges per region
A national database of accredited judges has been created for all regions and clubs to access for either salon or monthly club judging. Clubs are encouraged to start using accredited judges from all the regions, not just their own, to continue cross-pollination between the regions which will ultimately benefit club members by having diverse, but consistent, appraisal of their images.
The national judges have been grouped into their regions and if any of the judges’ details need updating, please contact Nicci van As, Co-ordinator Honours & Judges database.
Updated judges’ lists per region are available in the Club Zone under CLUBS on the main menu and for which a password is needed. This password is available to Club Chairpersons.
If you need any further information about the JAP please contact
Alan Nixon or Francois Roux or contact your regional director.
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