The Ingcayizivele Book Festival hosted its third edition, celebrating literature at the Ehlanzeni Municipality Disaster Management Conference Centre on Saturday, September 20.

The annual literacy festival, which focused on indigenous language literature, cultural heritage and the power of storytelling in communities, was opened by the Ehlanzeni Municipality executive mayor, Terra Shabangu. This year, 30 authors from across South Africa, Mpumalanga and neighbouring Eswatini were featured.

The festival began on September 15 with a book tour that visited eight schools in Barberton, Matsulu and KaBokweni.

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The Pretoria-based organisation, Siyafunda Donate a Book, partnered with the organisers and donated thousands of books to underprivileged schools.

Ntokozo Ndlovu, founder of Siyafunda, said: “It shouldn’t matter if a child lives in a rural or urban area. Each one deserves access to books and the opportunity to dream through reading. Together, BookHive and Siyafunda distributed thousands of books to learners and school libraries in under-resourced communities. The initiative underscores a shared commitment to ensuring that every child has access to books, regardless of where they live.”

The founder of BookHive and the Ingcayizivele Book Festival, Bobo Lukhele, said the event has grown into a vibrant platform for both authors and readers. “The book festival was planned for September because this is the month for celebrating our culture, heritage and language. We encourage our indigenous-language writers to take the lead in such festivals,” she said.

She added that the festival has previously hosted writers in Siswati and isiNdebele, providing a platform to share their challenges, successes and creative journeys. This year the programme included a masterclass in Siswati writing, presented by novelist Jabulani Johani Ncongwane, one of Mpumalanga’s most popular authors.

“Ncongwane has been a powerful force in preserving and promoting the richness of the Siswati language through novels, poetry and essays. His contribution to indigenous literature made the masterclass an eye-opening experience, drawing on his literary legacy of more than 23 published works. For the first time, aspiring writers and literature lovers had an exclusive opportunity to learn from the master himself at the festival,” Lukhele said.

“This year’s headline guest was the internationally acclaimed author, Tony Park, who discussed his collection of more than 23 thrillers. As a resident of the Lowveld, he brought extensive storytelling expertise and captivated attendees with insights into writing and adventure,” she said.