Siphokazi Jonas

Biography

SIPHOKAZI JONAS

Siphokazi Jonas is a prominent multi-award-winning South African author, poet, performer, producer celebrated for her powerful stage presence and impactful writing. She holds a Masters degree in English Literature, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Drama and English from the University of Cape Town. Her background in the theatre is what makes her a truly captivating performer whose work leaves a lasting impression on audiences across the world. She is the author of Weeping Becomes a River, which is only the second poetry collection ever published by Penguin Random House South Africa. The collection was awarded The Book Lounge Book of the Year in 2024 and listed among 100 Notable African Books of 2024 by Brittle Paper. In 2025 she was awarded the national HSS Award as joint winner of Best Poetry. The book was also the winner of the UJ Debut Prize, a rare feat for poetry collections in South Africa.

Siphokazi has written and performed in numerous productions including Around the Fire (2018) and #WeAreDyingHere (2020), the latter which was listed in Time Out New York as a must-stream production during Covid. #WeAreDyingHere was also adapted into an award-winning short film which has been screened in festivals as far afield as Tanzania, Nigeria, Spain, Germany, and the US.

As an influential voice in her discipline, Siphokazi sits on the international jury for the Wellbeing Regional Summits she is also a member of leadership networks including the BMW Foundation and the Community Arts Network, and she is a professional member of the Recording Academy (Grammys). She currently serves a member of the Artistic Council for the Emerging Leaders Artivism Alliance for art activists in Europe and Africa. Her art has brought her into collaboration with individuals, communities, organizations, and companies around the globe, all in the pursuit to discover and be moved by the poetry of shared human experiences. With a broad background in performance and experience as a facilitator, Siphokazi is a force of energy driven by a clear purpose: to help other realize their voices, and to write and re-write their stories on their own terms.

Images by: Nardus Engelbrecht

Career highlights

  • Award-winning work: The short film adaptation of #WeAreDyingHere won a South African Film and Television Award (SAFTA) for Best Short Film in 2022.
  • International recognition: Her reputation has grown internationally, and in 2016 she became the first African to perform at Rhetoric, one of the world’s largest poetry events, in Los Angeles. She was also selected by the Japan Institute and The Poetry Society of the UK to write and perform a poem for the African leg of a series of global symposia hosted on each continent. She was also commissioned by SA Tourism and Google Arts & Culture to write “A place of many names” for the virtual tourism platform.
  • Poet at SONA: She was one of only a few spoken word poets who have performed at South Africa’s State of the Nation Address. 
  • Literary accolades: Jonas was the runner-up for the prestigious Sol Plaatje European Union Poetry Award in 2016 and was later selected as the featured poet at the Poetry Africa Festival in 2021. She was also named Festival Poet with Antjie Krog at Woordfees 2025. Jonas was a joint winner for HSS Awards in the category Best Poetry in 2025. Winner of the UJ Prize for South African Writing: Debut Prize in 2025, and the Western Cape Cultural Affairs Awards for Most Innovative Young Artist 2022 and Literary Excellence 2025.
  • Film: Siphokazi is recognized for her significant contribution to the poetry film genre in South Africa through her writing and performance in numerous award-winning short films.
  • Debut collection: Her critically-acclaimed debut poetry collection, Weeping Becomes a River, was published by Penguin Random House South Africa in 2024 and has become a bestseller.