The winners of the 2020 South African Literary Awards have been announced.
The winning writers were announced in a virtual ceremony on 7 November 2020, International African Writers’ Day.
Now in their fifteenth year, the SALAs are awarded annually by the wRite Associates and the Department of Arts and Culture to celebrate literary excellence in all the languages of South Africa.
The prize seeks to
pay tribute to South African writers who have distinguished themselves as groundbreaking producers and creators of literature, while celebrating literary excellence in the depiction and sharing of South Africa’s histories, value systems, philosophies and art as inscribed and preserved in all the official languages of South Africa.
Congratulations to all the winners!
2020 South African Literary Award winners
| Category | Author | Title of book/publication | Language | Citation |
| Children’s Literature Award | Niki Daly | It’s Jamela! | English | Citation |
| Youth Literature Award | Trevor Noah | Born A Crime, Edition for Young Readers | English | Citation |
| First-time Published Author Award | Lize Albertyn-Du Toit | Die Kinders van Spookwerwe | Afrikaans | Citation |
| First-time Published Author Award | Trevor Sacks | Lucky Packet | English | Citation |
| K Sello Duiker Memorial Award | Phumlani Pikoli | Born Freeloaders | English | Citation |
| Poetry Award | Marlise Joubert | Grondwater | Afrikaans | Citation |
| Poetry Award | Musawenkosi Khanyile | All the Places | English | Citation |
| Creative Non-Fiction Award | Toni Strasburg | Holding the Fort | English | Citation |
| Nadine Gordimer Short Story Award | Fred Khumalo | Talk of the Town | English | Citation |
| Literary Journalism Award | Bongani Mavuso | Body of work | isiZulu | Citation |
| Novel Award | Fiona Snyckers | Lacuna | English | Citation |
| Literary Translators Award | Refiloe Moahluli | Yheke Yanga! Umdlali ka3 Toti uba yintshatsheli yeqakamba | isiXhosa | Citation |
| Posthumous Literary Award | Makhokolotso Albertina Mokhomo | – | Sesotho | Citation |
| Chairperson’s Literary Award | Recius Melato Malope | Body of work | Setswana | Citation |
| Lifetime Achievement Literary Award | Gubudla Aaron Malindzisa | Body of work | Siswati | Citation |
