List of South African poets

The poetry of South Africa covers a broad range of themes, forms, and styles, reflective of the diversity of its cultures and complex historical influences. As with the rest of the African continent, the two primary traditions that have shaped the South African poetry landscape are the written / published word and the ancient oral traditions. These works are written and recited in English, Afrikaans and the range of indigenous South African languages, the mostly predominant of these being Zulu and Xhosa. Traditional indigenous literature includes oral poetry forms such as “izibongo” - praise poetry with the traditional role of the ‘imbongi’ or praise poet as social commentator and jester of the times, to a significant extent being taken up in the form of spoken word, by younger generations of poets living in an urban setting.

‘From the ritual songs and stories of the country's earliest inhabitants to the rousing calls to action by anti-apartheid artists, oral poetry has always been an integral part of South Africa's literary and cultural heritage’. Voicing the Text: South African Oral Poetry and Performance - Duncan Brown, 1999

National annual poetry festivals such as Poetry Africa, Urban Voices, WordFest (as part of the annual National Arts Festival), Badilisha Poetry X-Change, and now the online podcasting platform Badilisha Poetry Radio, as well as rapidly increasing access to the internet over the last two decades, has accelerated South African poets’ exposure to historical archives and current global trends in poetry. These have encouraged the growth, visibility and appreciation of this literary form within the country.

A-C

 * Lionel Abrahams
 * Tatamkulu Afrika
 * Mike Alfred
 * Ingrid Andersen
 * Gabeba Baderoon
 * Shabbir Banoobhai
 * Sinclair Beiles
 * Robert Berold
 * Vonani Bila
 * Roy Blumenthal
 * Herman Charles Bosman
 * Breyten Breytenbach
 * Dennis Brutus
 * Guy Butler
 * Roy Campbell
 * Charl Cilliers
 * Sue Clark
 * Johnny Clegg
 * Jack Cope
 * Jeremy Cronin
 * Patrick Cullinan
 * Gary Cummiskey
 * Sheila Cussons

D-G

 * Achmat Dangor
 * Ingrid de Kok
 * Isobel Dixon
 * Modikwe Dikobe
 * Angifi Dladla
 * I D du Plessis
 * Finuala Dowling
 * Elisabeth Eybers
 * Kingsley Fairbridge
 * Gus Ferguson
 * Sheila Meiring Fugard
 * Keith Gottschalk
 * Stephen Gray
 * Robert Greig
 * Mafika Gwala

H-L

 * Megan Hall
 * Joan Hambidge
 * Colleen Higgs
 * Robert Homem
 * Christopher Hope
 * Peter Horn
 * Allan Kolski Horwitz
 * Alan James
 * Wopko Jensma
 * Liesl Jobson
 * Sarah Johnson
 * Ingrid Jonker
 * Aryan Kaganof
 * Anne Kellas
 * Keorapetse Kgositsile
 * Olga Kirsch
 * Rustum Kozain
 * Uys Krige
 * Antjie Krog
 * Anton Krueger
 * Mazisi Kunene
 * Cornelis Jacobus Langenhoven
 * C. Louis Leipoldt
 * Douglas Livingstone

M

 * Don Maclennan
 * Mzi Mahola
 * Chris Mann
 * Andrew Martens
 * John Mateer
 * Don Mattera
 * James Matthews
 * Mzwakhe Mbuli
 * Kim McClenaghan
 * Michelle McGrane
 * Sheila Meiring Fugard
 * Joan Metelerkamp
 * Ruth Miller
 * Abdul Milazi
 * Kobus Moolman
 * Isabella Motadinyane
 * Seitlhamo Motsapi
 * Casey Motsisi
 * S.E.K. Mqhayi
 * Oswald Mtshali

N-S

 * Arthur Nortje
 * D. J. Opperman
 * William Plomer
 * Karen Press
 * Thomas Pringle
 * Lesego Rampolokeng
 * Azila Talit Reisenberger
 * Robert Royston
 * Arja Salafranca
 * Sipho Sepamla
 * Mongane Wally Serote
 * Steve Shapiro
 * Adam Small

T-Z

 * Totius
 * Ernst van Heerden
 * Christopher van Wyk
 * A.G. Visser
 * Benedict Wallet Vilakazi
 * Crystal Warren
 * Stephen Watson
 * Mary Morison Webster
 * George Weideman
 * David Wright
 * Makhosazana Xaba
 * Gert Vlok Nel