South African Literary Awards

The South African Literary Awards have been awarded annually since 2005 to exceptional South African writers. Founded by the wRiteassociates, in partnership with the national Department of Arts and Culture, the awards "pay tribute to South African writers who have distinguished themselves as ground-breaking producers and creators of literature" and celebrate "literary excellence in the depiction and sharing of South Africa's histories, value systems, philosophies and art". The Awards are open to work in all of South Africa's eleven official languages, and they may include posthumous honours.
Since 2005, the number of awards has multiplied — there are now fourteen categories, recognising a variety of literary forms. There are categories for children's literature, youth literature, literary journalism, novels, poetry, creative non-fiction, debut works, and literary translation; and two named awards, the K. Sello Duiker Memorial Award and the Nadine Gordimer Short Story Award. Lifetime achievement is recognised in the Poet Laureate Prizes and the Lifetime Achievement, Posthumous, and Chairperson's Awards.
SALA was founded by the wRite associates in partnership with the South African Department of Arts and Culture. Since 2012, the awards have been given at the annual Africa Century International Writers Conference. The inaugural conference was hosted by the University of the Free State in 2012, supported by the SABC. As of 2021, the winner in each category received R30 000, and the National Poet Laureate received R100 000.

Poet Laureate Prizes

National Poet Laureate Prize

Regional Poets Laureate Prize

Ronelda Kamfer, Afrikaans
Themba Patrick Magaisa, Tsonga

The Regional Poet Laureate Prize was awarded for the first time in 2021. The prize is intended to guide the selection of future National Poet Laureates.

K. Sello Duiker Memorial Award

The K. Sello Duiker Memorial Award, named for the South African novelist K. Sello Duiker, recognises novels and novellas by authors under the age of 40. The age limitation was not in place in the award's early years.

Nadine Gordimer Short Story Award

The Nadine Gordimer Short Story Award, named for the South African novelist and short story writer Nadine Gordimer, recognises short story collections by a single author.

First-Time Published Author Award

The First-Time Published Author Award is open to works of all genres whose authors who have not been published before in any genre.

Year	Winner	Work	Language	Ref.
2021	Reŝoketŝwe Manenzhe	Scatterlings	English
2021	Lynthia Julius	Uit die kroes	Afrikaans
2020	Trevor Sacks	Lucky Packet	English
2020	Lize Albertyn-du Toit	Die kinders van spookwerwe	Afrikaans
2019	Bongani Ngqulunga	The Man Who Founded the ANC: A Biography of Pixley Ka Isaka Seme	English
2018	Malebo Sephodi	Miss Behave	English
2017	Moses Seletiša	Tšhutšhumakgala	Sepedi
2016	Francois Smith	Kamphoer	Afrikaans
2015	Carol Campbell	My Children Have Faces	English
2014	Claire Robertson	The Spiral House	English
2013	Ashraf Kagee	Khalil’s Journey	English
2012	Yewande Omotoso	Bom Boy	English
2012	S. J. Naudé	Alfabet van die voëls	Afrikaans
2011	Sifiso Mzobe	Young Blood	English
2010	Alistair Morgan	Sleeper’s Wake	English
2009	Diale Tlholwe	Ancient Rites	English

Children's Literature Award

The Children's Literature Award recognises works of fiction for children by adult authors.

Year	Winner	Work	Language	Ref.
2021	Andre Trantaal	Keegan & Samier: die sokkerfiasko	Afrikaans
2020	Niki Daly	It's Jamela!	English
2019	Lebohang Masango	Mpumi's Magic Beads	English
2018	Jaco Jacobs	Daar's nie 'n krokodil in hierdie boek nie Moenie hierdie boek eet nie	Afrikaans
2018	Marilyn Honikman	There Should Have Been Five	English

Youth Literature Award

The Youth Literature Award recognises works of fiction written for readers aged 12 to 18.

Year	Winner	Work	Language	Ref.
2021	Pamela Newham	The Boy and the Poacher’s Moon	English
2021	Kobate John Sekele	Mararankodi mafelelo	Sepedi
2021	Sipho R. Kekezwa	Ubomi, ungancama!	Xhosa
2020	Trevor Noah	Born A Crime: Young Readers Edition	English
2019	Sally Partridge	Mine	English

Literary Journalism Award

The Literary Journalism Award recognises those who, through print or electronic media, "have made a significant contribution to the promotion and development of South African literature through writing, commentating, advocating and critiquing." As of 2007, it was sponsored by the Sowetan and the SABC.

Literary Translators Award

The Literary Translators Award is open to South African literary works, or literary works translated by a South African, of any genre. It was awarded for the first time in 2008.

Posthumous Literary Award

The Posthumous Literary Award is awarded on the basis of an author's "overall literary achievement."

Chairperson's Literary Award

The Chairperson's Literary Award is awarded at the discretion of the Chairperson of the SALA Advisory Board.

Lifetime Achievement Literary Award

The Lifetime Achievement Literary Award is awarded to authors over the age of 60 on the basis of their "overall literary achievement."