The Poetry, Comedy and Storytelling Council (PoeComSto Council) will host the inaugural Poetry, Comedy and Storytelling Indaba from 23 to 25 November 2026 in Gauteng, bringing practitioners, industry leaders, policymakers and funders together to shape the future of three disciplines at the heart of South Africa’s cultural identity and creative economy. The national launch will take place during the three-day Indaba, held under the theme:

“One House. Three Disciplines. One National Voice.”

Legendary South African comedian David Kau will deliver the keynote address at the opening night event on 23 November 2026, bringing his wealth of experience and industry insight to the national conversation on the recognition, growth and sustainability of the creative sector.

PoeComSto Council represents the Poetry, Storytelling and Comedy cluster, one of the 17 Cultural and Creative Industry (CCI) Sector Clusters established by the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC) to address fragmentation in the creative sector and strengthen coordination, representation, professionalisation and access to markets.

For generations, poetry, comedy and storytelling have been the heartbeat of the nation, preserving histories, challenging injustice, healing communities and giving voice to the silenced. Yet the very artists who carry South Africa’s collective memory have too often remained invisible in the country’s economic and policy structures. The Indaba sets out to change that.

“We cannot continue to celebrate the power of these voices while neglecting the livelihoods behind them,” says PoeComSto Chairperson MoAfrika wa Mokgathi. “This Indaba is a declaration that our stories have value, our voices deserve protection and our creativity must translate into sustainable livelihoods.”

From fragmented voices to a national sector plan

Poetry, comedy and storytelling contribute to cultural identity, social cohesion, education and heritage preservation and create economic opportunities across performance, publishing, broadcasting, festivals and digital platforms. Yet practitioners continue to face challenges around recognition and professionalisation, funding, intellectual property and royalties, infrastructure, market access, skills, media visibility and governance, all of which are on the Indaba’s agenda.

The Indaba starts from a simple premise: an industry cannot be built on the exceptional success of a few while thousands of talented practitioners remain without opportunities, protection or sustainable livelihoods. The task is not only to celebrate those who have made it onto the stage, but to build the systems that make it possible for the next generation of poets, comedians and storytellers to thrive. “Talent should never have to survive where an industry ought to exist,” says Mokgathi.

Three disciplines. One national organising process.

After opening in a common forum, the programme moves into dedicated Poetry, Comedy and Storytelling Chambers, where participants will assess the state of each discipline and formulate sector-specific resolutions that will feed into the development of a national plan. Each discipline will elect four representatives, forming a 12-member structure to carry those resolutions forward.

The process will culminate in the first draft of the National Poetry, Comedy and Storytelling Sector Plan, covering governance and representation, funding and investment, professionalisation and skills, intellectual property and royalties, infrastructure, market development, digital technology, education, internationalisation and sustainability.

The measure of the Indaba will not be how many people sit in the room, but what is built from the conversations: resolutions, representatives, priorities and a clear national roadmap to take forward with DSAC, Parliament, funders and private-sector partners.

Building an annual platform

The Indaba will bring together poets, comedians, storytellers, writers, producers, curators, festivals, venues, publishers, government, funders, technology partners, academic institutions, media and sponsors, recognising that sustainable creative careers depend not only on talent, but on finance, intellectual property protection, markets, infrastructure, training and representation.

PoeComSto intends the Indaba to become an annual national gathering, and its ambition reaches well beyond November 2026. The Council is building a mechanism that listens to practitioners throughout the year, tracks progress and keeps the sector in the national conversation. Its planned legacy includes the three discipline chambers and 12 elected representatives, a National Sector Plan, a practitioner database, a digital consultation platform, annual sector reporting and ongoing engagement with DSAC and private-sector investors.

“We have always had the talent, the stories and the audiences. What we now need is the infrastructure, organisation and collective determination to turn that talent into sustainable careers and viable industries,” Mokgathi concludes. “This is our moment to move from being heard individually to being represented collectively.”

About PoeComSto

The Poetry, Comedy and Storytelling Council (PoeComSto) is the sector structure representing the Spoken Word, Poetry, Storytelling and Stand-up Comedy cluster within South Africa’s 17 Cultural and Creative Industry Sector Clusters established under the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture. PoeComSto seeks to support the development, representation, professionalisation and sustainability of practitioners across the three disciplines while contributing to South Africa’s broader cultural and creative economy.