Rea Mmethi

South Africa

The South African poet, architect and literature enthusiast was inspired to begin writing and performing by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Noviolet Bulawayo, Koleka Putuma and Uhuru Phalafala. A word-weaver and a multi-crowned champion of Slam City’s stages, her name is etched like a refrain in the monthly Top 5. She has stood in the electric hush of Poetry Africa’s Centenary Competition and claimed victory at the Next Generation Slam, where tomorrow’s voices first take flight. Beyond performance, she has contributed as a curator and creative force for the University of Pretoria’s Social Justice Stories Anthology, where she crafts stories that bruise, heal, and hum with revolution.