What began as a mother’s birthday vision has blossomed into a powerful, pan-African literary movement. The Funda Mpondo Literary Festival, now in its fourth edition, will be hosted from 3–4 September 2025 at the Lusikisiki Health Resource Centre. A special Welcoming Dinner on 2 September, hosted by Port St Johns Mayor Cllr. Cebisa Mazuza, will usher in the festival’s opening.
This year’s theme, “Bridging Generations Through Tales of the Past, Present, and Future,” celebrates the beauty of intergenerational storytelling and honours the legacy of the Africa Teen Authors Book Initiative (ATABI), founded by literary activist Nomawele Njongo. What began in 2021 as a vision inspired by her sons, Thina and Kwazi, has evolved into a global platform empowering young writers across the continent.
Over the past four years, ATABI has supported the publication of 150 teen authors from 31 countries, including Belgium, Canada, and Russia. These young voices have emerged from townships, villages, and cities, telling stories that resonate deeply with Africa’s cultural and historical identity.
Reflecting on the growth of the initiative, Njongo remarked:
“The same dream I once imagined alone is now alive and bearing fruit in countries I’ve never set foot in. Let Africa tell her stories — and may we continue to listen.”
The 2025 festival will feature an impressive array of panel discussions focused on cultural diplomacy, indigenous language preservation, rural storytelling, youth literary activism, and the future of African publishing. Scholars and cultural leaders, including Prof. Faith Ben-Daniels of Ghana, Dr. Gcina Mhlophe, and Dr. Xolisa Tshongolo of PanSALB, will deliver keynote addresses across the two-day programme.
Spoken word and poetry performances by artists from across Africa will take centre stage, offering audiences moving reflections on identity, memory, and resistance in multiple African languages. The musical programme will include both traditional and contemporary African performances.
Among the festival’s highlights will be a series of new book launches. These include Of Dreams and Blue Ixoras by Prof. Faith Ben-Daniels, 21 Letters by Lesotho’s Palesa Makoatsa, and several new titles by teen authors from the ATABI programme. Another key moment will be the IsiMpondo Reading Session, where elders, youth, and local authors will perform poetry and storytelling in the endangered isiMpondo language.
A special Intergenerational Dialogue will unite speakers from three generations, exchanging ideas and experiences on the evolving role of storytelling. The segment titled Ibali likaMakhulu will spotlight stories from grandmothers as remembered by young people. These oral histories will be compiled into a forthcoming anthology, supported by the National Heritage Council.
The festival will welcome 15 international guests, including delegations from Ghana, Malawi, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, and Botswana. Esteemed participants include Dr. Phuti Sepuru, Dr. Peyana, Chantal Willie-Petersen, Unathi Memela, and Lethu Nkwanyana, among others.
Festival founder Njongo shared that ATABI’s impact has expanded beyond South Africa’s borders. Abdoulkarim Hassana, a Cameroonian alumnus, registered ATABI as a creative sector initiative in his country and partnered with the French Alliance for local workshops. In South Sudan, Elizabeth Igai Ayang launched the ATABI South Sudan Chapter in partnership with Darling Wisdom Academy. Njongo, watching the live-streamed launch from the same bed where the vision first came to her, described the experience as emotional and humbling.
“This dream lives on, grows deeper, and reaches further. This is only the beginning,” she said.
The 2025 edition is made possible through the support of the National Heritage Council, Brand South Africa (Play Your Part), Eastern Cape Provincial Arts and Culture Council, OR Tambo District Municipality, Ingquza Hill Local Municipality, Port St Johns Local Municipality, Seven Oaks Superspar, and Boxer Lusikisiki.
As the festival returns to Lusikisiki, it not only uplifts a rural community but also reaffirms Africa’s commitment to its stories, its youth, and its future.
