Poetry Africa today (September 8) announced that storyteller, poet, playwright and actress Dr Gcina Mhlophe will receive its 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award, recognising more than four decades of her contribution to South African oral tradition, literature and theatre.

The award will be presented during the festival’s 30th edition, running from October 5-10 at the Durban Playhouse Theatre.

“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 (we thank God, we thank the ancestors),” gushed Mhlophe.

“Gcina Mhlophe has spent decades reminding us that a story, told with courage, can hold an entire nation’s memory,” said Ismail Mahomed, Director of the Centre for Creative Arts.

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“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.

“Her body of work spans theatre, poetry, children’s literature and film, and has been translated into numerous languages. Her honours include a SAFTA Lifetime Achievement Award, an Obie Award, the South African Children’s Laureate Award, and honorary doctorates from universities in South Africa and abroad. In 2016, she was named to the BBC’s 100 Women list. Her birthday, 24 October, has been marked as National Storytelling Day in South Africa since 2019,” added Mahomed.

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