Poetry Africa’s 30th edition will bring poets from 40 nations to Durban, using performance, debate and competition to expand creative expression, cultural exchange and dialogue globally.
Presented by the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Centre for Creative Arts, the festival will return to Durban in October with performances, workshops, panel discussions, book launches, school activities and national and international slam competitions.
At the centre of the programme is the fifth World Poetry Slam Championship, bringing 40 poets from 40 countries and five continents to compete in Durban for the international title.
The championship begins with quarter-finals on 7 October, followed by semi-finals on 8 October and the final on 9 October at the Playhouse Drama Theatre.
For Poetry Africa, the global competition also provides an opportunity to connect South African poets, young writers and audiences with an international spoken-word community.
The festival’s 2026 theme, “Every Word a Street, Every Voice a City”, positions poetry as a space where individual experiences can contribute to larger conversations about identity, memory, community and social change.
The 30th edition coincides with several important moments in South Africa’s democratic history, including 50 years since the 1976 Soweto Youth Uprising and 30 years since the first public hearings of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
It also marks 30 years since the adoption of South Africa’s Constitution, with the festival drawing particular attention to Section 16 and the role freedom of expression and creative freedom play in democratic society.
Centre for Creative Arts Director Ismail Mahomed said these anniversaries raise continuing questions about who is able to speak, whose experiences are heard and the responsibility that accompanies freedom of expression.
The festival has built its identity around providing poets with a platform to engage social issues while creating opportunities for audiences to encounter experiences and perspectives from South Africa and beyond.
Poetry Africa describes itself as a space for dialogue, reflection, cultural exchange and professional development, while also contributing to Durban’s broader cultural economy and its position as a UNESCO City of Literature.
The festival opens at the Playhouse Drama Theatre on 5 October, with South African poet Lebo Mashile hosting the official opening.
2026 Featured Poet Koleka Putuma will deliver the keynote address, while the opening programme includes performances by Ana More from Ukraine, Algeria’s Haroun Amri, Gabon’s Nanda, South Africa’s Steel the Poet and Dr Gcina Mhlophe, and Jamaican artist D’bi Young Anitafrika.
Young poets will also form part of the festival through the Chalkboard Slam Competition, Poetry Africa’s initiative for high school learners.
The programme gives learners an opportunity to develop original work and perform publicly, with judging based on content, originality, creativity, performance and impact.
South African emerging poets will compete through the National Slam Jam Competition, with the semi-finals and final taking place on 6 October.
The national competition provides finalists with travel, accommodation and a pre-competition masterclass, while the eventual winner receives R20 000 and an opportunity to progress to international competition.
Beyond performance, the festival includes conversations on how poets can build sustainable creative careers.
The 2026 programme includes discussions on the longevity of poetry practice, artist mobility, professional artistic identity, queer poetics and the future of technology in poetry.
These conversations extend Poetry Africa beyond the stage by addressing some of the practical issues artists face when trying to turn creative work into sustainable careers.
The programme also includes the launch of new literary work and opportunities for poets, publishers, academics and cultural practitioners to build professional networks.
On 9 October, the festival will stage Water, a theatre production developed from the work of Featured Poet Koleka Putuma, ahead of the World Poetry Slam Championship final later that evening.
For three decades, Poetry Africa has developed from a platform showcasing poets into a broader space for artistic exchange, professional development and conversations about the role creative expression can play in social change.
The 2026 edition continues that approach by combining young voices, established artists and international performers while giving audiences opportunities to engage with poetry as both an art form and a tool for dialogue.
Poetry Africa’s official website currently lists the festival dates as 5–10 October 2026, while the published public programme lists scheduled events through 9 October, including the World Poetry Slam final and closing ceremony.
