Mak Manaka is a Soweto-born poet, writer and performer with a deep artistic heritage. He has published several poetry collections, released the dub-poetry album Word Sound Power, and performed across South Africa and internationally. His energetic, politically aware work has taken him to stages in Spain, Cuba, Jamaica, Lesotho, Botswana, Germany, Holland, Italy and Switzerland.

Xabiso Vili is a World Poetry Slam Champion, Mandela Washington Fellow, multi-award-winning poet, performer and new media artist. Through Siziintsomi Creations, he creates transformative work that fuses poetry with technology, heritage and healing. His projects include Re/Member Your Descendants, Guardians of Leeds and Kwasukasukela.

Yamoria is a Johannesburg-based collaborative spoken-word duo created by South African poets, writers, voice-over artists, authors and podcast hosts Mfumo and Fumane Ntshabane. Their work blends poetry, performance and voice, with projects across brand campaigns, television, social media and publishing, including their poetry and colouring book Colour Me Melanin.

Tshepo Molefe is an award-winning performance poet, theatremaker, scriptwriter and copywriter with more than ten years of experience. He has performed on major stages across South Africa and collaborated with institutions such as Drama for Life and Joburg Theatre. He is also the founder of 4 Da Poyets, a poetry movement focused on developing and showcasing South African poetry talent.

Zama Madinana is a Johannesburg-based South African poet whose work explores love, politics and social issues. His poetry has appeared in several literary publications, and his full-length collection ’94 was published in 2023 and longlisted for a South African Literary Award in 2024. He has performed across South Africa and internationally.

Solly Ramatswi, formerly known as Soetry, is a multifaceted artist from Pollen village in Limpopo, now based in Gauteng. His work blends poetry, theatre, podcasting and language activism in Sepedi and English. Through Soetry Media and Project Translation, he promotes language diversity and inclusivity through poetry, theatre, song, movement and Sign Language.

Sive Joyi is a poet, playwright and language activist from Sterkstroom in the Eastern Cape. He writes in his mother tongue and works across poetry, theatre, dramaturgy and arts education. He is the founder of Isigidimi Solwimi Lwenkobe, a multidisciplinary indigenous language programme, and Mabaphile abaNtu, a community-centred space for dialogue, care and healing.

Torsten Clear Rybka is a South African poet from Ga-Rankuwa, Pretoria, known for his work in spoken word, hip-hop and youth poetry development. He founded the Speak Child Poetry Movement, has staged poetry productions at major South African venues, and has performed both locally and internationally. For WordUP Basha, he serves as Programme Director.

Sabelo Soko is the curator of WordUP Basha: Words of Freedom. Through the WordUP platform, he helps create space for poets whose work engages youth activism, cultural resistance, identity, healing and transformation.

Modise Sekgothe is an award-winning writer, performer and multidisciplinary poet whose work explores the relationship between poetry, music, theatre and visual art. He is the 2025 Standard Bank Young Artist for Poetry and has performed across South Africa and internationally. His work stretches the boundaries of spoken word through collaboration, theatre, sound and multimedia performance.

Vuyelwa Maluleke appears in the programme materials as a poet, but no approved biography was found in the Drive materials checked. Add her bio once supplied or confirmed by the organisers.