Based : Cape Town
Thandiwe Nqanda is a Cape Town-born performance poet, author and multidisciplinary creative whose work explores identity, grief, healing, love, social consciousness and the complexities of the human experience. Her powerful use of language, coupled with an intimate and commanding performance style, has established her as an exciting voice within South Africa’s contemporary spoken-word landscape.
Her literary journey reached an important milestone with the publication of her debut poetry collection, No Time To Mourn. Her work has subsequently reached audiences both locally and internationally, including a performance of her poem “Energy” on Totally Radio in Brighton, UK, and participation in the international 16DaysOfActivism16Poets initiative. In 2022, she was selected as a Guest Poet representing the People’s Voice around South Africa’s State of the Nation Address (SONA).
Thandiwe’s work has featured on respected platforms including the Open Book Festival, Folklore Festival and National Arts Festival. Her poem “the mourners” was also published in New Contrast, one of South Africa’s established literary journals.
Extending poetry beyond the written and spoken word, Thandiwe co-created and performed in Grieve, That Is How You Survive, a choreo-poem combining poetry, physical theatre and music, which debuted at the National Arts Festival in Makhanda in 2024. She also created IT IS TIME, a musical poetry production that brings spoken word together with live jazz, allowing her to collaborate with musicians including Kujenga and The Guftahs.
Thought-provoking, soulful and deeply expressive, Thandiwe brings a distinctive artistic dimension to live events. Her ability to combine storytelling, poetry and music makes her particularly suited to corporate events, conferences, cultural programmes, Women’s Month celebrations, gala dinners and bespoke theatrical performances.
