Cape Flats Storytelling Earns Place in Netwerk24-kykNET-Rapport Book Prizes

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Three writers from the Cape Flats have been named finalists for the prestigious Netwerk24-kykNET-Rapport book prizes this year. They are Nathan Trantraal for his graphic novel Die man wattie kinnes vang, Charmaine Africa for her memoir Amma, and Gaireyah Fredericks for her short story collection Een voet innie kabr.

What makes this year’s shortlist remarkable is that it marks the first time in Afrikaans literary history that a mother and son have both been nominated in the same year. Trantraal and his mother, Africa, now share that honour. Their inclusion underlines not only the strength of their individual voices but also the generational impact of storytelling in their community.

Fredericks and Africa have also made their presence felt elsewhere in the literary world. Both were contenders for the 2025 UJ Debut Prize for Afrikaans Literature, with Fredericks ultimately taking the award. Africa is further recognised on another front, being shortlisted for an ATKV-Woordveertjies non-fiction award this year.

The Netwerk24-kykNET-Rapport book prizes themselves are undergoing a milestone moment. From 2025, a new poetry category will be introduced, carrying prize money of R200 000. This award is dedicated to the memory of celebrated Afrikaans poet Breyten Breytenbach, ensuring that poetry remains firmly valued within the literary landscape. Altogether, the seven awards — five for books and two for reviews — will distribute a total of R1.4 million in prize money.

For the 2024 publishing year, 95 works were submitted for consideration. According to prize convenor Hettie Scholtz, the range of entries proves that Afrikaans is not static but thriving, with writers pushing into fresh creative spaces, particularly within Cape Afrikaans, while continuing to engage with the established literary canon.

The breakdown of the awards is significant: R350 000 each for the novel and non-fiction categories, R200 000 for the Breytenbach poetry prize, the Herman Binge Film Prize, and the Jan Rabie Rapport Prize, while the review prizes — one for fiction and one for non-fiction — are worth R50 000 apiece. Shortlists for the review categories will be released soon.