Durban will host the 5th World Slam Poetry Competition & Convention in October 2026, bringing together 40 spoken word poets from 40 nations to compete and address global challenges through poetry. The Centre for Creative Arts at the University of KwaZulu-Natal will present the event alongside the 30th anniversary of Poetry Africa, one of Africa’s premier performance poetry platforms. According to curator Siphindile Hlongwa, while the event lacks the budget and political weight of the recent G20 Summit, it will command the focused attention of a global youth audience.

The timing carries historical significance, marking 50 years since the 1976 Soweto Youth Uprising when young people led South Africa’s demand for justice. Hlongwa emphasizes poetry’s role in South African identity, from traditional Imbongi through liberation struggle poets to today’s spoken word artists, all united in speaking truth to power. She positions the convention as a poetic response to the G20, allowing poets to put into motion through creative imagination what politicians merely discussed.

South Africa has proven form at this global stage. When the inaugural World Slam Poetry Competition launched in Brussels in 2021, South African poet Xabiso Vili won the first world championship title. Then-president of the competition Philip Meersman attributed the victory to South African poets’ rich legacy of oral poetry embedded in the nation’s identity.

Ismail Mahomed, Director of the Centre for Creative Arts, describes the event as global democracy in action, strengthening social and political order through creative imagination. The convention is expected to boost cultural tourism in Durban, with the live event streaming to poetry organizations across all 40 participating countries, offering sponsors access to young, engaged, and critical audiences.

The World Slam Poetry Competition & Convention runs from October 5-11, 2026. Interested partners and sponsors can contact the Centre for Creative Arts at [email protected].