Poetry Africa will bring 40 slam poets from 40 countries to Durban while celebrating South African literary talent during its milestone 30th edition this October.
The Centre for Creative Arts at the University of KwaZulu-Natal has named Cape Town-based poet and cultural worker Koleka Putuma as the festival’s 2026 Featured Poet.
Taking place at the Durban Playhouse Theatre from 5 to 10 October, the festival will run under the theme Every Word a Street, Every Voice a City.
Each year, Poetry Africa recognises a leading South African poet whose work reflects the principles of South Africa’s Constitutional Democracy and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Putuma’s work spans performance, publishing and installation, exploring themes including voice, identity, religion, history and the body.
“Koleka Putuma’s work is rooted in truth-telling as an act of freedom, and that has always been at the heart of what Poetry Africa stands for,” said Ismail Mahomed, Director of the Centre for Creative Arts.
Putuma has published three poetry collections, several plays and a children’s book. Her debut children’s book, Everybody Has a Fear, has been translated into Korean, Spanish and German.
She is also Founder and Director of Manyano Media, a multidisciplinary creative company focused on producing and uplifting stories by Black queer and non-binary artists.
Alongside celebrating established literary voices, this year’s festival will create an international platform for spoken-word talent through the fifth World Slam Poetry Championships.
Forty poets representing 40 nations will compete in Durban, bringing different perspectives on identity, protest, memory, joy and contemporary life to South African audiences.
“Bringing slam poets from 40 nations to one stage in Durban is a reminder that poetry is one of the few languages the whole world already speaks,” said festival curator Siphindile Hlongwa.
Three slam formats will form part of the programme: the Poetry Africa National Slam Jam, World Poetry Slam Championship and Chalkboard Slam for high school learners.
The inclusion of young people extends Poetry Africa’s role beyond performance, creating opportunities for learners to participate in spoken-word culture and develop their own creative voices.
A celebratory draw on 8 September will determine which countries compete against one another during the four World Slam Poetry Championship quarter-finals.
The wider festival will feature poets from Africa, Europe, the Americas, Asia and Oceania, with the complete programme and Lifetime Achievement Award recipient still to be announced.
Running since 1997, Poetry Africa has developed into a platform for performances, discussions, school and campus visits, poetry exchanges, book launches, open mic sessions and competitive slam poetry.
Its 30th edition continues that work by connecting established writers, emerging performers, learners and international voices while exploring poetry’s contribution to culture, dialogue and social change.
Tickets for the 2026 festival will be available from 7 September.
