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The 30th Poetry Africa Festival and 5th World Poetry Slam Championship (5–10 October 2026) took place in Durban and brought the world of poetry together. However, as big as this world is, when we connect and listen to each other this world becomes our community. Whether you were on the slam stage or at the various open mic events, the voices of the poets were heard. The clicks and expressions from an audience that was highly excited and hungry for poetry confirmed this. This event celebrates poets, poetry and literature from across the world.
The 30th Poetry Africa Festival’s theme was “Every word a street, every voice a city”; this theme asked us to map out what place and belonging means. The poetry community is often described as a coin. On one side, the poet feels alone on the journey of writing, and this can be true. On the other hand, this world can feel too big, because poets have too many topics to write about. The 2026 Poetry Africa Festival brought both of these sides together, and poets could connect around these two sides. During the festival, we could share issues relating to poetry and discuss solutions. We could clearly meet counterparts from across the world, and the week built stacks of hopeful bricks.
The curator, Siphindile Hlongwa, and her excellent team from the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Centre for Creative Arts truly embodied the importance of building bridges. In her speech at the handing over of the World Slam Champion 2027 Award to Yuri Miki (Japan), Hlongwa emphasised the importance of making connections, and said she looks forward to getting feedback that stems from this year’s festival. In this speech, she emphasised how we should work together, and that the future she imagines is one of bold connections. We are grateful for the work and dedication of a team that places poetry at the forefront of their work. They organised a festival that allowed poets to breathe in their language, represent their countries and have fun. During the festival, Gcina Mhlope was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award. While accepting this award, she performed pieces and told stories that truly touched the hearts of the audience. The Featured Poet 2026 was Koleka Putuma, and in her speech she touched on the importance of voice. Both of these poets knew how to shift the atmosphere at the Durban Playhouse, providing the audience with unforgettable moments.
The Chalkboard Slam Competition introduces upcoming voices in the slam poetry scene. This competition is designed for high school learners to bring their voices and share their experiences. We appreciate the established voices, however; the future of slam poetry looks good. The winner of the Chalkboard Slam Competition was Natalia Bushe, and this is a voice that we can trust to speak the unspoken using poetry. Another programme that took place during the festival was Siyaphumelela Scholars. This programme introduced those we look forward to hearing more of when it comes to the power of simplicity in poetry. With the guidance of the brilliant poet Malika Ndlovu, they read poems for the first time. This group of poets, throughout the festival, showed us how lasting friendships are made by the simple way they support each other. They should not sit back in the poetry community; rather, they should keep on inspiring us. We expect powerful and impactful poems from the Siyaphumelela Scholars.
The National Slam Competition for South African slam poets shows what dedication to an art form is about. The winner also starts on a path to compete at the World Slam Championship 2027 in Japan. These 10 poets were chosen from various competitions, and these poets showcased talent. We know South Africa has talent, but to see it live is something else. They compete for recognition and capture the audience with their original work. The winner of the National Slam Competition 2026 was Solly Ramatswi. This young poet placed his community, heart and family at the centre of his performances. The audience was drawn into his expression of comparisons with his grandmother’s lived experiences and his role as a slam poet. His ability to smoothly transition between Sepedi and English was something that left the audience in awe. We not only congratulate Solly Ramatswi on his win, but we are also reminded that South Africa has talent that knows how to decipher complicated concepts through art. All the best for your path ahead, Solly!
The highlight of the Poetry Africa Festival was the 5th World Poetry Slam Championship, with 38 countries competing for this title. Here the spoken word on stage was performed by the best of each country. Participating countries were Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Cuba, Denmark, the Dominican Republic, England, Estonia, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guinea-Bissau, Italy, Ivory Coast, Japan, Kenya, Mauritania, Mexico, Morocco, Mozambique, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Peru, Puerto Rico, Scotland, Senegal, Slovenia, South Africa, Switzerland, Taiwan and Togo. These countries blended their culture, personal story and slam poetry skills to bring the energy to Durban. The winner of the 5th World Slam Championship was Valerio Moser (Switzerland). We congratulate the poet and his performance, which he brought with passion.
The festival included panel discussions for the audience and participants. The panels ranged from how to sustain longevity in your poetry career to the poet’s mobility. These panels are where industry experts share advice. Poets are informed about poetry careers and the importance of understanding the business of creativity. During the panels, we could clearly discover what is needed in the creative industry, where poets are often lacking; and, this being the World Slam Championship, we had solutions from all over the world. What I found important from the panel participants is that they were open to questions, comments and perspectives from the audience. As artists, we need more discussions with industry experts and advice on how poets can move forward with their talent. We do not need more “struggling artists”! We need artists who can sustain themselves with their art, especially in South Africa. With this being said, support your poets and reach out to them to be part of your projects.
One of the important parts of Poetry Africa is the Outreach Programme, where the team sends out poets and participants to engage with various communities. The Outreach Programme is meant to allow performances, questions and cultural exchange. This year, the programme worked with various schools, UKZN (Howard College Theatre), the Luthuli Museum, St Wendolis Hall, Kwamashu Community Advancement Projects (KCAP) and the Wushwini Pan African Centre. We were honoured to experience this engagement with the community and see the raw talent we did. The importance of the Outreach Programme is reaching out, reinvesting resources and learning from others. Furthermore, the facilitators and participants exchanged stories and interacted through sharing about their lived experiences.
The 30th Poetry Africa Festival and 5th World Slam Championship reminded us of the role of poetry in our society. The theme “Every word a street, every voice a city” raised the important questions of how we map our lives, the stories of others and how we can connect to support each other. My two main highlights of the festival were the following, and these will stay with me:
- When Siphindile Hlongwa handed over the basket for the World Slam Championship to Yuri Miki, Miki was overwhelmed and tried to accept the basket in English. It was not for lack of English, but Yuri Miki stepped forward and asked the audience, “Can I just for 10 seconds speak my language, Japanese?” The audience responded with an overwhelming “Yes”. This moment of asking and of accepting Yuri Miki in her own language showed how we should make room for all languages, cultures and people.
- The second moment was during the informal open mic that I hosted. At its closing, Teirangi Klever (New Zealand) performed a poem and said that her father wanted to do a haka for us. Of course, we said “Yes”. Her father explained that the haka was for a chief’s son, but he would change it for his daughter and the people/community he met during the week.
These two moments will stay with me; they grounded me in the alignment of the festival. May we move forward with courage, community and the possibility of poetry for humanity.