List of African poets

This is a list of African poets. Contemporary Africa has a range of important poets across many different genres and cultures. Poetry in Africa details more on the history and context of contemporary poetry on the continent.

A Chris Abani, Nigeria Maria do Carmo Abecassis, Mozambique Mohammed Abed Elhai, Sudan Lionel Abrahams, South Africa P. A. K. Aboagye, Ghana Mohammed Achaari, Morocco Chinua Achebe, Nigeria Catherine Obianuju Acholonu, Nigeria Elhadi Adam, Sudan Toyin Adewale-Gabriel, Nigeria Tatamkulu Afrika, South Africa Ama Ata Aidoo, Ghana Funso Aiyejina, Nigeria Grace Akello, Uganda Mohammed ibn Mohammed Alami, Morocco Mohammed ibn Idris al-Amrawi, Morocco Kaddour El Alamy, Morocco Abu Salim al-Ayyashi, Morocco Sebastião Alba, Mozambique Mike Alfred, South Africa AlKabli, Sudan Akilu Aliyu, Nigeria Al-Saddiq Al-Raddi, Sudan Abdulkareem Baba Aminu, Nigeria Jean Amrouche, Algeria Ingrid Andersen, South Africa Tyrone Appollis, South Africa Eseohe Arhebamen (a.k.a. Edoheart), Nigeria Khadambi Asalache, Kenya Nana Asma'u, Nigeria Hennie Aucamp, South Africa Mohammed Awzal, Morocco Ayo Ayoola-Amale, Nigeria Ali Azaykou, Morocco Étienne Azéma, Réunion Jean-Henri Azéma, Réunion Nnorom Azuonye, Nigeria

B Mildred Barya, Uganda Ali Birra, Ethiopia J. Benibengor Blay, Ghana Kwesi Brew, Ghana Angèle Bassolé-Ouédraogo, Côte d'Ivoire Tanella Boni, Côte d'Ivoire Ali Bu'ul, Somaliland Mohammed Ben Brahim, Morocco Siham Benchekroun, Morocco Abdelmajid Benjelloun, Morocco Hafsa Bikri, Morocco Al-Buzidi al-Bujrafi, Morocco Philip Begho, Nigeria Alioune Badara Bèye, Senegal Gabeba Baderoon, South Africa Shabbir Banoobhai, South Africa Sinclair Beiles, South Africa Robert Berold, South Africa Vonani Bila, South Africa Peter Blum, South Africa Roy Blumenthal, South Africa Tanella Boni, Côte d'Ivoire Breyten Breytenbach, South Africa Dennis Brutus, South Africa Abena Busia, Ghana Akosua Busia, Ghana Guy Butler, South Africa

C Robert Calvert, South Africa Roy Campbell, South Africa Gladys Casely-Hayford, Ghana Jan F. E. Celliers, South Africa Steve Chimombo, Mali Chirikure Chirikure, Zimbabwe Yvette Christiansë, South Africa Charl Cilliers, South Africa J. P. Clark Nigeria Jack Cope, South Africa Mia Couto, Mozambique Jeni Couzyn, South Africa José Craveirinha, Mozambique Jeremy Cronin, South Africa Patrick Cullinan, South Africa Gary Cummiskey, South Africa Sheila Cussons, South Africa Chijioke Amu-Nnadi, Nigeria

D Mohammed Dib, Algeria Tahar Djaout, Algeria Viriato da Cruz, Angola Bernadette Sanou Dao, Burkina Faso Mbella Sonne Dipoko, Cameroon Kwame Dawes, Ghana Bernard Binlin Dadié, Côte d'Ivoire Fily Dabo Sissoko, Mali Souéloum Diagho, Mali David Diop, Senegal Achmat Dangor, South Africa Johann de Lange, South Africa Dertigers, South Africa Phillippa Yaa de Villiers, South Africa Isobel Dixon, South Africa Angifi Dladla, South Africa Finuala Dowling, South Africa Saddiq Dzukogi, Nigeria

E Michael Echeruo, Nigeria Amatoritsero Ede, Nigeria Elisabeth Eybers, South Africa Bushra Elfadil, Sudan Mohammed Moftahh Elfitory, Sudan John Eppel, Zimbabwe

F Femi Fani-Kayode, Nigeria Allal al-Fassi, Morocco Abd al-Rahman al-Fazazi, Morocco Achour Fenni, Algeria Diana Ferrus, South Africa Kite Fiqi, Somaliland Sheila Meiring Fugard, South Africa

G Ahmed Gabyow, Somalia Gaariye, Somaliland Abdul Raheem Glailati, Sudan Keith Gottschalk, South Africa William Wellington Gqoba, South Africa Stephen Gray, South Africa Josué Guébo, Ivory Coast Mafika Gwala, South Africa

H Hadraawi, Somalia Malek Haddad, Algeria Mohammed Abdullah Hassan, Somalia Gebre Hanna, Ethiopia Mohammed al-Haik, Morocco Beyene Haile, Eritrea Allal El Hajjam, Morocco Hamdun ibn al-Hajj al-Fasi, Morocco Mohammed al-Harraq al-Alami, Morocco David Hassine, Morocco Sulayman al-Hawwat, Morocco Dorian Haarhoff, Namibia Helon Habila, Nigeria Obo Aba Hisanjani, Nigeria Megan Hall, South Africa Joan Hambidge, South Africa Ernst van Heerden, South Africa C. M. van den Heever, South Africa Colleen Higgs, South Africa Christopher Hope, South Africa Peter Horn, South Africa Allan Kolski Horwitz, South Africa Chenjerai Hove, Zimbabwe

I Ismail ibn al-Ahmar, Morocco Idriss ibn al-Hassan al-Alami, Morocco Ibn al-Khabbaza, Morocco Malik ibn al-Murahhal, Morocco Ahmad Ibn al-Qadi, Morocco Mohammed ibn Qasim ibn Zakur, Morocco Ibn Zaydan, Morocco Chinweizu Ibekwe, Nigeria Adamou Idé, Niger Abdi Bashir Indhobuur, Somalia I. D. du Plessis, South Africa Ibrahim 'Ali Salman, Sudan Salah Ahmed Ibrahim, Sudan

J António Jacinto, Angola Abu al-Abbas al-Jarawi, Morocco Joseph ben Judah of Ceuta, Morocco Ahmed Joumari, Morocco John Jea, Nigeria Alan James, South Africa José Craveirinha, Mozambique Noémia de Sousa, Mozambique Wopko Jensma, South Africa Emmanuel Taiwo Jegede, Nigeria Liesl Jobson, South Africa Sarah Johnson, South Africa Ingrid Jonker, South Africa

K Ajaib Kamal, Kenya Jonathan Kariara, Kenya Bai T. Moore, Liberia Stanley Onjezani Kenani, Malawi Mohammed Khammar Kanouni, Morocco Mohammed Khaïr-Eddine, Morocco Aryan Kaganof, South Africa Anne Kellas, South Africa Keorapetse Kgositsile, South Africa Ntšeliseng ʻMasechele Khaketla, Lesotho Sheila Khala, Lesotho Mbongeni Khumalo, South Africa Olga Kirsch, South Africa Uys Krige, South Africa Antjie Krog, South Africa Anton Robert Krueger, South Africa Mazisi Kunene, South Africa Abdellatif Laabi, Morocco Wafaa Lamrani, Morocco Ahmed Lemsih, Morocco Mandla Langa, South Africa Cornelis Jacobus Langenhoven, South Africa Pule Lechesa, South Africa C. Louis Leipoldt, South Africa Douglas Livingstone, South Africa Nicolaas Petrus van Wyk Louw, South Africa W. E. G. Louw, South Africa Taban Lo Liyong, Sudan

M Christopher Mwashinga, Tanzania Marjorie Oludhe Macgoye, Kenya Jack Mapanje, Malawi Felix Mnthali, Malawi Ahmed al-Madini, Morocco Abdelaziz al-Maghrawi, Morocco Abderrahman El Majdoub, Morocco Abdelaziz al-Malzuzi, Morocco Zindzi Mandela, South Africa Zahra Mansouri, Morocco Dambudzo Marechera, Zimbabwe Barbara Masekela, South Africa Al-Masfiwi, Morocco Lebogang Mashile, South Africa Dada Masiti, Somalia Thami Mdaghri, Morocco Ahmed Mejjati, Morocco Gcina Mhlophe, South Africa Lucien Xavier Michel-Andrianarahinjaka, Madagascar Mohammed Bennis, Morocco Peya Mushelenga, Namibia Mohammed al-Mokhtar Soussi, Morocco Rozena Maart, South Africa Kim McClenaghan, South Africa Michelle McGrane, South Africa Don Maclennan, South Africa Muhammad Ahmad Mahgoub, Sudan D. F. Malherbe, South Africa Clinton Marius, South Africa John Mateer, South Africa Don Mattera, South Africa Mulumba Ivan Matthias, Uganda John Matshikiza, South Africa James Matthews, South Africa Mzwakhe Mbuli, South Africa Joan Metelerkamp, South Africa Ruth Miller, South Africa Amitabh Mitra, South Africa Kobus Moolman, South Africa Rose Moss, South Africa Isabella Motadinyane, South Africa Modikwe Dikobe, South Africa Samuel Edward Krune Mqhayi, South Africa Fadhy Mtanga, Tanzania Oswald Mbuyiseni Mtshali, South Africa Malkat Ed-Dar Mohamed, Sudan Tumi Molekane, Tanzania Mukotani Rugyendo, Uganda Micere Githae Mugo, Kenya Hassan Sheikh Mumin Somalia Solomon Mutswairo, Zimbabwe Togara Muzanenhamo, Zimbabwe Rasaq Malik, Nigeria

N Hans Daniel Namuhuja, Namibia Mririda n'Ait Attik, Morocco Okey Ndibe, Nigeria Uche Nduka, Nigeria Echezonachukwu Nduka, Nigeria Mũkoma wa Ngũgĩ, Kenya Mostafa Nissaboury, Morocco Arthur Nortje, South Africa Pitika Ntuli, South Africa

O Chike Obi, Nigeria Okello Oculi, Uganda Odia Ofeimun, Nigeria Tanure Ojaide, Nigeria Atukwei Okai, Ghana Gabriel Okara, Nigeria Diego Odoh Okenyodo, Nigeria Christopher Okigbo, Nigeria Ben Okri, Nigeria Olatubosun Oladapo, Nigeria Onwuchekwa Jemie, Nigeria D. J. Opperman, South Africa Niyi Osundare, Nigeria Romeo Oriogun, Nigeria

P Okot p'Bitek, Uganda Nii Ayikwei Parkes, Ghana Shailja Patel, Kenya Lenrie Peters, Gambia William Plomer, South Africa Louis-Marie Pouka, Cameroon Karen Press, South Africa

Q Alfred Themba Qabula, South Africa

R Lesego Rampolokeng, South Africa Esther Razanadrasoa (1892–1931), Madagascar Francis William Reitz, South Africa Rustum Kozain, South Africa Gely Abdel Rahman, Sudan Ras Nas, Tanzania Shaaban Bin Robert, Tanzania David Rubadiri, Malawi

S Peter M. Sacks, South Africa Abdelhadi Said, Morocco Arja Salafranca, South Africa Tijan M. Sallah, Gambia Dina Salústio, Cabo Verde Francisco Santos, Angola Mabel Segun, Nigeria Jean Sénac, Algeria Léopold Sédar Senghor, Senegal Sipho Sepamla, South Africa Sjaka Septembir, South Africa Mohamed Serghini, Morocco Mongane Wally Serote, South Africa Shaykh Sufi, Somalia Warsan Shire, Somalia Lola Shoneyin, Nigeria Si Mohand, Algeria Ari Sitas, South Africa Adam Small, South Africa Noémia de Sousa, Mozambique Wole Soyinka, Nigeria Lina Spies, South Africa Bakari Sumano, Mali Efua Sutherland, Ghana Tendai M. Shaba, Malawi

T Abdelkarim Tabbal, Morocco Véronique Tadjo, Côte d'Ivoire Hemmou Talb, Morocco Eugène Terre'Blanche, South Africa Abdillahi Suldaan Mohammed Timacade, Somalia Frédéric Pacéré Titinga, Burkina Faso Mohamud Siad Togane, Somalia Totius, South Africa Houcine Toulali, Morocco Aida Touré, Gabon

V Mamman Jiya Vatsa, Nigeria Benedict Wallet Vilakazi, South Africa Wayne Visser, South Africa Gert Vlok Nel, South Africa

W Patricia Jabbeh Wesley, Liberia Phillis Wheatley, Gambia or Senegal Crystal Warren, South Africa Stephen Watson, South Africa Mary Morison Webster, South Africa George Weideman, South Africa Ngudia Wendel, Angola Hein Willemse, South Africa David Wright, South Africa Christopher van Wyk, South Africa Chapanga Wilson, Tanzania

X

Makhosazana Xaba, South Africa Cali Xuseen Xirsi, Somalia

Y Mvula ya Nangolo, Namibia Shadya Yasin, Somalia

Z Mohamed Zafzaf, Morocco Moufdi Zakaria, Algeria Abed Elrahim Abu Zakrra, Sudan Musaemura Zimunya, Zimbabwe Abdallah Zrika, Morocco