The Goethe-Institut in Johannesburg is hosting film, art, language and literature events throughout the month of November with the aim of sharing and nurturing various important forms of cultural exchange. Here’s all you need to know about the event schedule.
What does the Goethe-Institut do?
The Goethe-Institut aims to cultivate international and local cultural exchange through the arts, sciences and languages. With over 100 institutes worldwide, and 14 in the sub-Saharan region, including the one in Johannesburg, the Goethe-Institut is committed to fostering transnational diversity, understanding and trust.
The Johannesburg institute’s Language department offers German lessons in the Goethe-Institut and otherwise, supporting German teachers in the country and working closely with the South African Department of Education.
Their Library and Information Department works in partnership with libraries and other institutions involved in book and reading promotion in South Africa and encourages exchanges between information specialists and publishers in South Africa, sub-Saharan Africa and Germany.
And their Cultural Programmes Department focuses on a variety of different artistic approaches from the visual arts to drama, dance, literature, film, and others to support the local cultural scenes and strengthen pan-African dialogue through the arts.
New! Goethe-Institut Johannesburg Library takes on a sonic modality
The Goethe-Institut Johannesburg Library is entering an exciting new chapter with the launch of the Sonic Library, a dynamic initiative that reimagines the library as an experimental, participatory space for sound, performance and broadcasting.
Building on the library’s longstanding role in archiving knowledge and supporting learning, the Sonic Library expands these possibilities by recognizing sound as a vital form of cultural memory and historical record.
Through this initiative, the library becomes a platform for documenting, preserving and activating the sounds that have shaped and continue to shape social, cultural, and political life in South Africa, across the African continent, and beyond.
The Sonic Library explores the intersections between traditional library practices and the demands of a digital age. By embracing oral traditions, listening practices, and sonic storytelling, the project challenges conventional ideas of knowledge preservation and access.
Through collaborations with artists, researchers, cultural practitioners and communities, the Sonic Library seeks to preserve cultural heritage while encouraging new forms of engagement with sound as a tool for history, identity, memory and creative expression.
When: Library open hours are – Monday to Thursday from 2pm to 6pm
Where: Goethe-Institut Johannesburg Library, 119 Jan Smuts Avenue, Parkwood, Johannesburg
The Goethe-Institut’s August Programme
Roots & Pixels Open Call
Roots & Pixels is a two-week training programme taking place from 15 to 26 March 2027, focused on design for IMPACT. The goal of the programme is to bring together female-identifying game developers from Belgium, South Africa, Kenya and Uganda.
This training programme offers an exclusive opportunity for a maximum of 17 talented female game developers, junior level and up (nine intercontinental participants, eight from Belgium) to join a two-week training hosted in Kortrijk, Belgium at their campuses of Howest – Digital Arts and Entertainment.
The programme is designed to elevate participant expertise, build industry connections and, above all, connect and empower female game developers from across the globe.
Thanks to the support of VLIRUOS, costs of the training as well as accomodation, travel and daily per diem are fully covered for intercontinental participants.
Cost: Applicants must be female-identifying, reside in South Africa, Kenya, or Uganda, and should have a junior level of experience in game development (or an adjacent field/industry) and up. Apply online
When: Applications close on 16 August at 11.59pm. The training programme is from 15 to 26 March 2027
Where: Successful applicants get an expenses-paid trip to Belgium
More on the open call
Ableton User Group Johannesburg – From Mbiras to birdsong
The Goethe-Institut Johannesburg welcomes Ableton Certified Trainer Emile Hoogenhout for an inspiring session exploring the latest creative possibilities in Ableton Live 12.3.
This workshop will feature an exciting deep dive into integrating VCV Rack with Ableton Live using completely free tools. Learn how to route MIDI and audio between the two platforms to unlock new approaches to music production, sound design, sequencing, modulation and live experimentation.
What to Expect
VCV Rack brings the flexibility of a modular synthesizer environment into your computer, allowing you to:
- Build custom signal chains
- Create evolving, dynamic sounds
- Experiment with modulation
- Design unique instruments and effects
When combined with Ableton Live, it becomes a powerful creative system where modular synthesis meets modern DAW workflows.
Workshop Highlights
- Routing MIDI and audio between Ableton Live and VCV Rack
- Controlling VCV Rack using Ableton MIDI devices
- Generating complex sequences and modulation
- Processing audio through modular effects chains
- Integrating results back into Ableton for mixing and production
- Introduction to modular synthesis fundamentals and signal flow
Whether you’re into electronic music production, generative music, or experimental sound design, this workshop offers practical techniques and creative inspiration you can immediately apply to your own projects.
Cost: Free entry
When: Wednesday, 5 August 2026 from 4pm to 7pm
Where: Goethe-Institut Johannesburg, 119 Jan Smuts Ave, Parkwood, Johannesburg
Poetry League Season 12
Don’t miss the next chapter of South Africa’s premier poetry slam platform. Whether you’re performing or supporting from the audience, this is where powerful voices, creativity and culture come together.
Do you think you’ve got what it takes to win R2000? Arrive early to sign up and bring your best poem to the Poetry League stage. 20 poets will compete for the top spot, followed by two phenomenal poetry showcases.
Cost: R50pp, book via Webtickets
When: Saturday, 8 August from 1pm
Where: Kippies at The Market Theatre, 138 Lilian Ngoyi St, Newtown, Johannesburg
Exhibition: A Secret Third Thing
Reflective of the history of its locale, A Secret Third Thing is an excavation and a tenuous mining undergone with no clear endpoint in sight.
The secrecy the exhibition brings to question is not some retrievable piece of information, but the reckoning with a fidgety, sometimes exciting, sometimes scary and always dynamic undercurrent. This undercurrent is the haunting of a city that refuses to be continuously taken from with no recourse or consequence.
The city refuses a position of docility. The apartment guests find themselves in is stripped of any of those homely identifying marks but holds echoes of the city, with music from the street below making its way to the fifth floor and the sound of people going about their lives.
Adopting this space in limbo, A Secret Third Thing refutes the derogatory assumptions of inner-city Johannesburg. In turn, the artists presented become active specters that talk back at the city, insinuating the idea of how we can be both the haunted and the ones who haunt in return.
Featured artists include Senzeni Marasela, Ntsako Nkuna, Simon Gush, Smiso Cele, Siyababa, Oratile Papi Konopi, Masindi Mbolekwa.
Cost: Free entry
When: Opens on Saturday, 8 August 2026 from 11am to 1pm and runs until 10 October 2026
Where: Goethe-Institut Johannesburg, 119 Jan Smuts Ave, Parkwood, Johannesburg
AFRO-Freedom Book Club
The AFRO-Freedom Book Club is a public gathering that celebrates Afrikan writers, aiming to spark dialogue and civic engagement within the community. This club is a fantastic space for Afro-centric, creative, opinionated, and open-minded individuals, and the meetups take place on the second Wednesday of each month. Anyone can join in, regardless of whether they’ve read the book or not.
The book selection for August is Black Skin, White Masks by Frantz Fanon. A major influence on civil rights, anti-colonial and black consciousness movements around the world, Black Skin, White Masks is the unsurpassed study of the black psyche in a white world. Hailed for its scientific analysis and poetic grace when it was first published in 1952, the book remains a vital force today.
The monthly book selection is shared via the mailing list and on social media (Facebook and Instagram). Email [email protected] for more information.
Cost: Free entry
When: Wednesday, 12 August 2026 from 7pm to 9pm
Where: Goethe-Institut Johannesburg, 119 Jan Smuts Ave, Parkwood, Johannesburg
Gamedev meetups
Every second Thursday of every month, gaming enthusiasts can join the Goethe-Institut for talks, game showcases, networking with other game developers, and playtesting. Refreshments are also served throughout the evening to keep the energy up.
Cost: Free entry
When: Thursday, 13 August 2026 from 6pm to 9pm
Where: Goethe-Institut Johannesburg, 119 Jan Smuts Ave, Parkwood, Johannesburg
Wikipedia Meetup
Wikipedia meetups are community gatherings where Wikipedians and other Wikimedians come together to socialise, collaborate, and work toward the shared goal of improving free knowledge. These meetups can be in person or online, and anyone may organise or attend: no special permissions are required, and formats vary widely depending on the group’s goals.
What This Johannesburg Meetup Is About
At the Goethe-Institut edition of the meetup, participants focus on discussions around:
- Wikimedia South Africa, its work, programmes, and current projects within the chapter and the larger Wikimedia movement.
- Activities and developments happening locally, across Africa, and internationally within Wikimedia.
- Open conversations and Q&A about Wikipedia and its sister projects.
This aligns perfectly with how Wikipedia meetups often include discussion, collaboration, sharing ideas, and sometimes editing activities.
Purpose of the Meetups
The overall purpose is to create a space where everything related to Wikipedia can be learned, explored, or discussed.
From a practical standpoint, attendees can expect:
- Learning about how Wikipedia works and how the local affiliate (Wikimedia South Africa) operates.
- Asking any questions about Wikipedia editing, policies, or participation.
- Hearing about upcoming Wikimedia events in South Africa, Africa, and the global movement.
- Occasional editathons, training sessions, and hands-on guidance, which reflects the common meetup format of editingfocused gatherings.
Who can attend?
The event is open to Wikipedia editors, beginners, researchers, community members, and anyone simply curious about how Wikipedia works.
This openness mirrors global Wikipedia meetup norms, where gatherings are designed for all levels of experience and are often supported by experienced editors.
Cost: Free entry. Email [email protected] for more information
When: Saturday, 15 August 2026 from 10.30am to 12.30pm
Where: Goethe-Institut Johannesburg, 119 Jan Smuts Ave, Parkwood, Johannesburg
Storytelling circle/gathering: Food as Memory
The Food as Memory Storytelling Circle is part of an ongoing series of events engaging in dialogue around sustainable food systems, indigenous knowledge, and cultivating community. This circle will create a shared space where participants come together to exchange personal experiences and stories rooted in indigenous food and communal traditions around food.
Through storytelling and dialogue, you will unpack the cross-generational impact of knowledge sharing, the preservation of food traditions, stories, and land, and how to create access in spaces that are not always accessible.
Everyone is invited to see themselves as a collector and holder of stories. No story is invaluable, and every memory contributes to a living archive of food practices and cultural wisdom that strengthen community bonds and inspire sustainable futures.
Together, you will listen, share, and honor diverse voices, ensuring that ancestral wisdom remains alive and accessible for generations to come.
Ntombekhaya Tisani will hold the space and guide you through the session. The conversation will be sparked with Vho-Mphatheleni Makaulule’s voice, who is an environmental activist, defender of sacred sites, and researcher in the transfer of indigenous knowledge to future generations.
The gathering will invite everyone to join the Family Table with a selection of indigenous food creations by Chef Noni. The invited DJ, Zviko, will contribute a sonic vinyl experience, weaving together sounds and memories to awaken nostalgia and inspire conversation.
Guests are also invited to bring and share a dish that best encapsulates and sparks their memory (not a must).
Cost: Free entry. RSVP at [email protected]
When: Saturday, 15 August 2026 from 2pm to 6pm
Where: The Forge, Ground Floor, 87 De Korte St, Braamfontein, Johannesburg
Silent Book Club
To participate in the Goethe-Institut’s Silent Book Club, bring any book that you are interested in reading or explore the Goethe library for a title that piques your interest and join your fellow bookworms for a few hours of silent, communal reading.
Cost: Free entry
When: Wednesday, 26 August 2026 from 6.30pm to 9pm
Where: Goethe-Institut Johannesburg, 119 Jan Smuts Ave, Parkwood, Johannesburg
Open Call for Proposals: Earn a Chance to be Awarded a Performing Arts and Music Grant
The Africa-Europe Partnerships for Culture: Sub-Saharan Africa component invites performing arts and music creatives and practitioners to apply for the grant call for the Circulation of Performing Arts and Music as well as the Professional Mobility Grant in Performing Arts and Music.
This ambitious project, led by the Goethe-Institut and Expertise France in partnership with Institut français, embodies the Team Europe spirit and seeks to renew and strengthen cultural ties between Sub-Saharan Africa and the European Union through the principles of equity, inclusion and sustainability.
Applications are open until 30 September 2026, and selected projects will be announced in January 2027.
Get the details on how to apply
Get in touch
Website: goethe.de/ins/za
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 011 442 3232
Instagram:@goetheinstitut_southafrica
Facebook:@goethe.joburg
