Seen Here: The Kaza Kamba Pan African Theatre Festival returns to The Market Theatre from 20–23 August 2026, bringing together powerful theatre, music, film, workshops and thought-provoking conversations under the theme “Memory Against Forgetting.” Celebrating African creativity, identity and liberation, the festival promises four days of inspiring performances and cultural exchange that place Pan-African storytelling firmly in the spotlight. Photo Credit: Supplied
JOHANNESBURG – The Kaza Kamba Pan African Theatre Festival is set to return to The Market Theatre from 20–23 August 2026, promising four days of powerful performances, thought-provoking discussions, film, music and cultural exchange that celebrate Africa’s artistic excellence while confronting some of the continent’s most pressing social and political realities.
Now in its third year, the festival—presented through a partnership between mehlo-maya (eye-to-the-sun) and The Market Theatre—has rapidly established itself as one of South Africa’s most significant platforms for Pan-African artistic expression. Zimbabwean theatre producer Daves Guzha has described it as “one of the most defining and deserving festivals of our time with a slant on Pan Africanism.”
A Festival Built on the Power of Memory
This year’s festival embraces the compelling theme, “Memory Against Forgetting,” inspired by celebrated author Milan Kundera’s novel The Book of Laughter and Forgetting. The theme invites audiences to reflect on the importance of preserving collective memory while confronting historical injustices, social divisions and the complexities of contemporary African identity.
In a South African context, the festival arrives at a time when conversations around history, belonging, migration and solidarity across the continent remain more relevant than ever.
Rather than simply entertaining audiences, Kaza Kamba seeks to spark dialogue, encourage reflection and demonstrate how the arts can serve as powerful instruments for healing, resistance and social transformation.
Theatre That Challenges, Heals and Inspires
Leading this year’s programme is the acclaimed multidisciplinary collective iPhupho L’ka Biko, presenting Marikana Still…fontein, a powerful new production revisiting the Marikana tragedy through the lenses of memory, justice and Pan-African consciousness.
The production serves as both a lament for those who lost their lives and a call to reclaim a vision of Africa rooted in dignity, solidarity and collective liberation.
Another festival highlight is Skierlik, the emotionally charged one-man production written and performed by celebrated storyteller Phillip Dikotla. Based on the tragic racially motivated attack that occurred in the Skierlik informal settlement in 2008, the play explores grief, resilience, love and hope through poetic storytelling that continues to resonate with South African audiences.
International voices will also feature prominently.
Fresh from the Kenyan International Theatre Festival, The Dying Need No Shoes examines buried family trauma, silence and survival. Written by Fred Mbogo, directed by Alacoque Ntome, and performed by Emmanuel Shikuku and Ann Keveli, the production confronts painful truths while asking difficult questions about memory and healing.
The Windybrow Arts Centre presents A Season of Hillbrow, a bold reinterpretation of Arthur Rimbaud’s A Season in Hell. Set against Johannesburg’s vibrant inner-city landscape, the production transforms Hillbrow into a metaphor for contemporary South Africa—where multilingualism, migration and resilience intersect through poetry, movement and performance.
Music, Poetry and Performance in Conversation
Music and spoken word remain central to the Kaza Kamba experience.
One of the festival’s standout performances, Sounding the Sound, brings together pianist Yonela Mnana, acclaimed poet Lesego Rampolokeng, and percussionist Gontse Makhene in an immersive collaboration that blends jazz, poetry and African rhythms.
Their performance promises an emotionally charged exploration of identity, politics and collective memory, creating a space where artistic expression becomes both reflection and resistance.
Film That Sparks Conversation
Beyond the theatre stage, cinema forms an essential part of this year’s programme.
Festival-goers can revisit The Battle of Algiers (1966), one of the world’s most influential political films, while documentaries such as Word Down the Line, Rearview, and Sudan…Remember Us provide powerful explorations of African identity, migration, conflict and liberation struggles.
Several screenings will be followed by public discussions, creating opportunities for audiences to engage directly with filmmakers, activists and scholars.
New Voices and Emerging Talent
Kaza Kamba continues to invest in the future of African theatre through its newly introduced Play Readings programme.
Audiences will have the opportunity to experience works-in-progress by emerging playwrights Khutjo Green (Maki Next Door) and Jonathan Maseng (Sobukwe), with interactive discussions encouraging public feedback and creative exchange.
The festival also launches Bioscope Beyond Borders, a mobile cinema initiative showcasing South African films examining migration, belonging and identity. Following its debut at The Market Theatre, the project will travel to festivals across the country, including the Warrenton Festival in the Northern Cape later this year.
Learning Beyond the Stage
Education remains a cornerstone of the festival.
A series of workshops covering movement, drumming, chanting, voice training, music and African languages will be offered throughout the weekend, welcoming everyone from seasoned practitioners to young children as young as three years old.
Adding further depth to the programme is the launch of Rising to Palestine: Africans in Solidarity for Decolonisation and Liberation, an important new publication edited by Raouf Farrah and Suraya Dadoo, bringing together African scholars examining liberation struggles across Gaza, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Western Sahara.
More Than a Festival
The Kaza Kamba experience extends beyond theatres and screening rooms.
Visitors can explore the vibrant Kaza Kamba Pavement Café, featuring live music, open-mic performances, African cuisine, handcrafted fashion, books, jewellery and locally made artisan products, creating a lively cultural marketplace within The Market Theatre precinct.
With free workshops and documentary screenings alongside an exceptional programme of theatre, music and film, the festival offers something for artists, students, academics, families and anyone passionate about African storytelling.
As South Africa continues to grapple with questions of identity, belonging and historical memory, the 2026 Kaza Kamba Pan African Theatre Festival promises more than entertainment—it offers a powerful reminder that the arts remain one of society’s most important spaces for dialogue, remembrance and imagining a shared African future.
