The winners of the 2024 South African Literary Awards (the SALAs) have been announced.

The SALAs are awarded annually by the wRite Associates and the Department of Arts and Culture to celebrate literary excellence in all South African languages.

South African writers, translators and other literary practitioners across sixteen categories were honoured at a ceremony held at the Ditsong National Museum of Cultural History in Pretoria on 7 November, International African Writers Day.

The SALAs seek 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.

Commenting on this year’s awards, Morakabe ‘Raks’ Seakhoa, the managing director of the wRite associates and founding executive director of the SALAs, said he was happy the awards were continuing the tradition of honouring the best of South Africa’s literary talent and promoting writing in indigenous languages:

‘It has been a long but fascinating process to identify the outstanding nominees from which to select winners. We thank all the judges who worked tirelessly to select the winners. We are also grateful to the support we continue to receive from the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture. We look forward to next year’s edition, which will be the twentieth anniversary of these important literary awards.’

2024 South African Literary Awards winners

Children’s Literature Award winners

• Kwazi Ndlangisa – Vukani Kusile
• Deidré Jantjies – Stories in die wind

Youth Literature Award

• Kobate John Sekele – Ba Kwa Ka Letlalo
• Nellie Alberts – Reg in die middel van nêrens

First-Time Published Author Award

• Mafika Jetro Mahlangu – Umrhayili
• Bonga Matu – Thula Mama Thula: Big Girls don’t Cry
• Sinethemba Simlindile Bhila – Hawu Mfundisi
• Lwando Dlephu – Amava Ahlabahlosile
• Beauty Maretsane Madihlabe – Ke tlo mo palediša

Sello Duiker Memorial Literary Award

• Sihle Qwabe – The Resurrection

Poetry Award

• Fhulufhelo Ntsieni – Rudzani
• Sithembele Isaac Xhegwana – Dark Lines of History

Nadine Gordimer Short Story Award

• Dawn Garisch – What Remains

Creative Non-Fiction Literary Award

• Sihle Khumalo – Milk the Beloved Country

Novel Award

• Barry Gilder – At Fire Hour
• Jabulane Johan Ncongwane – Lifa Letilima
• Sithembile Mputa – Unyana Wolahleko
• SJ Naudé – Van vaders en vlugtelinge
• Kabelo Duncan Kgatea – Tsamaya sentle ‘tata’ Mandela

Literary Translators Award

• Misokuhle Nyathikazi – Ntofo-Ntofo
• Michiel Heyns – The Dao of Daniel
• Vonani Bila – Khanimamba N’wantlhadyana na Mbila
• Eben Venter – Decima

Lifetime Achievement Literary Award

• Kanakana Yvonne Ladzani – For her Body of Work

Literary Journalism Award

• Gugulethu Mhlungu
• SAFM (SABC English radio station) – The book reading programme