The Woordfees of the Stellenbosch University is a celebration of the word within its context and in as many forms as possible – including poetry, prose, debate, different forms of drama and music. The focus is on Afrikaans, but languages with which there may be a geographical or other relationship (amongst others from Africa and the Netherlands) are welcome. The festival is aimed at students, learners and the public and wants to be as inclusive as possible.

The main objective is to promote literature and the arts and to create a platform for artists and authors to engage with audiences and to get exposure for their talents. One of our important goals is to reach out to various communities. The Woordfees’ annual Woorde Open Wêrelde project is one of the Stellenbosch University’s largest schools outreach programmes with a wide range of project goals. It is a language based project with special aim on word competence, reading, literacy and the arts, with Afrikaans as medium.

The WOW project aims to reach less privileged children and to broaden their vision by means of the word; to make them aware of the wonder of books and literature; to create a love for and pride in their mother tongue, and; to stimulate creativity and knowledge and appreciation of the arts and to encourage further learning.