Durban – South African storyteller, poet, playwright and actress Dr Gcina Mhlophe will be honoured with Poetry Africa’s 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award for more than four decades of work in literature, theatre and oral storytelling.
Mhlophe will receive the award during the 30th edition of Poetry Africa, which takes place from 5 to 10 October at the Durban Playhouse Theatre.
Reacting to the announcement, Mhlophe said she was humbled by the recognition.
“It is a true honour to be recognised in this manner! I’m humbled, and my heart is full of Gratitude, Sibonga Ophezulu, Sibonge Abaphansi,” she said.
Born in KwaZulu-Natal in 1958, Mhlophe rose to prominence in the 1980s through her work at Johannesburg’s Market Theatre.
Her autobiographical play Have You Seen Zandile? won a Fringe First at the Edinburgh Festival, while her wider body of work has spanned theatre, poetry, children’s literature and film.
Mhlophe has also played a significant role in promoting oral storytelling in South Africa, performing and teaching in English, Afrikaans, isiZulu and isiXhosa.
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Her work has been translated into several languages and has earned her numerous accolades, including a South African Film and Television Awards Lifetime Achievement Award, an Obie Award and the South African Children’s Laureate Award.
She was also named among the BBC’s 100 Women in 2016, while her birthday, 24 October, has been observed as National Storytelling Day in South Africa since 2019.
‘A nation’s memory’
Ismail Mahomed, director of the Centre for Creative Arts, said Mhlophe’s contribution had helped preserve South Africa’s cultural memory.
“Gcina Mhlophe has spent decades reminding us that a story, told with courage, can hold an entire nation’s memory,” he said.
Mahomed said the award was an opportunity to recognise not only Mhlophe’s body of work but also the lasting influence she has had on South African storytelling and cultural expression.
“Honouring her this year is a chance to celebrate not just a body of work, but a legacy that has shaped how South Africans understand the power of their own voices,” he said.
Poetry Africa is presented by the Centre for Creative Arts at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and features performances, panel discussions, school and campus visits, poetry exchanges, book launches, open-mic sessions and slam competitions.
The 2026 festival will also host the fifth World Slam Poetry Championships, bringing 40 slam poets from 40 countries to Durban.
Mhlophe’s Lifetime Achievement Award comes as Poetry Africa celebrates three decades of showcasing poetry and spoken-word performance in South Africa and internationally.
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Compiled by Glaan Sibuyi
