A New Chapter for South African Youth: The South African Youth Anthology Wants Your Voice

South Africa’s young writers, poets and artists are being invited to put their work on the record.

There is something powerful about seeing your name in print.

For a young person with a story, a poem, an idea, a sketch or something important to say, having that work preserved in a book can turn a simple piece of creativity into part of a much bigger national conversation.

That is the vision behind the South African Youth Anthology a new, ambitious youth-led literary and creative project created to give young South Africans a platform to express themselves, showcase their creativity and leave something behind for the generations that come after them.

This is not simply another call for submissions.

It is an invitation to become part of a national collection of youth voices.

The anthology will bring together poems, short stories and art pieces created by young South Africans, celebrating the imagination, experiences, questions, challenges and dreams of a generation.

And there is a particular sense of prestige attached to the project: not every submission will make it into the anthology.

The editorial team will carefully consider submissions, with only selected works being included in the final publication. For those whose work is chosen, the achievement will go beyond having something published contributors will receive certificates recognising their participation and contribution to the project.

A book that belongs to the youth

The South African Youth Anthology is being developed as a lasting cultural project.

Once completed, the publication is intended to be donated to the Bessie Head Library, creating a physical record that young people and members of the public will be able to access.

The anthology will also be made available digitally as a PDF, allowing the collection to travel beyond the library and reach young people, educators, families, creatives and members of the public across South Africa and beyond.

In other words, your work could become part of something that does not simply disappear after being posted online.

It could become part of an archive.

Part of a library.

Part of a national collection of youth expression.

Your voice. Your perspective. Your South Africa.

The anthology is deliberately broad because South African youth cannot be placed into one box.

Young contributors are encouraged to explore subjects that matter to them — from identity, culture, heritage and spirituality to education, youth culture, sport, social issues, the economy and the realities young people experience every day.

There is also room to speak about politics, society, gender, inequality, dreams, solutions and the future of South Africa.

The important thing is that the work comes from a genuine youth perspective.

This is an opportunity to say:

This is who we are.
This is what we see.
This is what we feel.
This is what we believe.
This is the South Africa we want to build.

Building a serious youth platform

The project has already begun putting its leadership structure in place.

Mr Elihle Mchunu, who currently serves as Chief Marketing and Communications Officer within the Mhlengi Classic Mafu Foundation and Seven Twenty Three, has been appointed President of the South African Youth Anthology. He is tasked with helping drive the project forward, supporting submissions, communications, marketing and the development of the anthology’s public identity.

Joining him is Miss Owethu Cele, Secretary General of the Mhlengi Classic Mafu Foundation and Seven Twenty Three, who has been appointed Deputy President of the South African Youth Anthology.

Together, the leadership is expected to help build momentum around the project and encourage young people to take ownership of the opportunity.

The anthology operates under the broader guidance and leadership of the Mhlengi Classic Mafu Foundation and Seven Twenty Three.

At foundation level, CEO Miss Snenhlanhla Zondi and COO Miss Zenande Sibisi provide executive leadership and organisational direction, while Miss Ayandiswa Ndlovu, Chief of Human Resources, will facilitate human-resource matters across the foundation and the anthology project.

And because this is not only a literary project but a celebration of creativity, Art Director Mlungisi Dlodlo will contribute to the anthology’s visual and artistic dimension through selected art pieces.

It is a structure designed to take young people’s creativity seriously.

Who can contribute?

The current first phase of submissions is aimed at:

• Grade 10 learners
• Grade 11 learners
• Grade 12 learners
• First-year university students

You do not have to be a published writer.

You do not need a famous name.

You do not need thousands of followers.

You simply need something worth saying.

Submissions can include poetry, short stories and art pieces, with works considered by the anthology’s editorial team for possible inclusion.

Young people can contribute independently or submit through their school or English teacher.

How to submit

Interested contributors can make enquiries and submit through the project’s official communication channels:

Email:
mhlengiclassicmafufoundation@gmail.com
southafricanyouthanthology@gmail.com

Instagram:
@MhlengiClassicMafuFoundation
@seventwentythree7

For learners submitting through their schools, the project also encourages engagement with English teachers and relevant school representatives, who can assist learners with the submission process.

The first phase of submissions is currently open until 30 November 2026.

More than a book

What makes the South African Youth Anthology interesting is the possibility that it could become more than a publication.

It can become a meeting point for young writers, artists, thinkers and dreamers from different backgrounds and communities.

A Grade 10 learner in KwaZulu-Natal might find their poem sitting alongside the work of a first-year university student from another province.

An artist might have their work preserved alongside a short story.

A young person who has never considered themselves a writer might discover that their voice belongs in a book.

That is the beauty of creating a national anthology: different experiences can exist on the same pages.

The project is being positioned as a classy, carefully curated and prestigious platform for youth creativity, with an emphasis on quality, presentation and meaningful contribution.

This is your invitation

South Africa has never been short of young people with something to say.

The question is whether we create enough spaces for those voices to be heard and remembered.

The South African Youth Anthology is creating one of those spaces.

So, if you are a young South African with a poem sitting in your notebook, a short story saved on your phone, artwork that deserves to be seen, or simply a perspective you believe belongs in the conversation, this may be the moment to bring it forward.

Write it.
Create it.
Submit it.
Leave your mark.

Because one day, someone may walk into the Bessie Head Library, open the South African Youth Anthology and find your name, your words and your imagination on the page.

South African Youth Anthology
A collection of poems, short stories and art pieces from the South African youth.

Led under the Mhlengi Classic Mafu Foundation & Seven Twenty Three.