Write. Compete. Win Big.
Online poetry contest & creative writing community for South African writers
All Creative Writing, Spoken Word and Lyrics. All Languages Welcome. Stand a chance to win R1,000 weekly & Get noticed by Shuters for authoring opportunities.
Free to join · Basic R14.99/mo · Elite R49/mo · Cancel anytime · Suitable for all ages
2 people win every week
Subscribed writers compete for both prizes — plus access to all features.
Most-liked piece of the week wins R1,000, announced every Sunday.
Hand-picked by Shuters editors every week — likes don't count.
CHOOSE YOUR TIER
Free poetry submission sites tier — submit poems for prizes or upgrade for cash prize poetry contests.
Free to join. Upgrade anytime to compete for cash prizes.
ARE YOU A SCHOOL?
Multi-licence discounts available. Licence CreatiVerse for your classroom or campus with your own school leaderboard, and a R1,000 bi-weekly prize for the highest-ranking piece by a school.
Your words. In print. Couriered to your door.
100 years of Shuters. 100 pieces. One private, non-commercial edition — paid subscribers only. If your work is selected, a printed copy of the inaugural anthology is couriered straight to your delivery address — a real book in your hands to keep forever.
⚡ Weekly Winner
Paid-subscriber winners, 1–30 Sept, auto-qualify.
🔵 Blue lightning-bolt
A separate Editor's Choice selection — auto-qualifies.
🏅 Anthology badge
Tells you your piece has made the 100.
Then in October: a writing workshop takes you behind the scenes of the publishing process — the work that turns your words into a printed book.
Not a paid subscriber yet? Time to Subscribe and feel the publishing pressure.
GET PUBLISHED & BUILD YOUR WRITING PORTFOLIO
Get noticed by publishers and learn how to get published as a writer through Shuters Publishers.
A safe space to show your work to the public. Stand out and get noticed by Shuters — one of South Africa's leading publishers. Your best work could land you a real publishing opportunity alongside the cash prizes.
HOW CREATIVERSE WORKS
1. Write or Record
Type your piece of Creative Writing, snap a photo or record your voice. Your original work. No AI allowed.
2. Enhance Your Writing
Use AI to generate backgrounds or upload your own pictures. Extract text from photos, transcribe audio. Run a copyright and AI writing check to ensure your work is original — protecting other authors and the platform from AI generated content.
3. Share & Win
Publish, share to socials, get likes, and climb the leaderboard for cash.
FEATURED PIECES
Behind closed door
I got inside with an empty heart I screamed at the walls, and all I could see was darkness. I sat by corner and all I heard was sound in my head screaming take the rope. I looked at rope and all I can see was the pain the tears and the stories behind my broken heart. Ohhh what at time to want to escape this world. I asked myself what would happen if am no more? And I realised that the world will still move without me. People would still create their own memories and mine would have ended, I opened the curtain and I saw the light that would come if I leave this room. I guess it is true when they say there is light at the end of the tunnel. I hold my chest and said pain doesnt last forever and I will get through this tunnel, I picked every piece of my heart and said I am opening this door and I am going to see the light.
by Lee’joy
The Decree: At The Right Hand
by Sethu
Opossum, oh possum
Have you ever swallowed a possum? I have, multiple times Yes it’s disgusting, gut-wrenching if you will Did it put up a fight? No, it just creeped its way to the back of my throat, coating my tongue in a unbearable bitterness Then it sits there for a while; unmoving Until it screeches so loud, forcing me to shut my ears Hairy arms and nails scrape my insides It whispers disgusting lies: “So so gluttonous despite the full belly” “So desperate, so needy” Then it slithers down slowly, resting at the top of my lungs causing the organ to contract rapidly as it begins to squirm I can do nothing but pant in distress It climbs lower till it settles between my ribcage paralyzing its previous destinations Uncurling its noodle-like tail, hanging it low enough to tickle my stomach My left leg just jerks in response Trying its best to cradle the creature to sleep
by Cadyjay
GET NOTICED, GET PAID.
Join CreatiVerse today. Submit your best work and compete for real cash prizes every week.
WORDS FROM OUR WRITERS
Poet_Pomme_de_terre
Dear Reader
Writing has always been an organ only visible to my mind's eye — in the way words come together, and in how I'm meant to deliver them to the world exactly as I envisaged.
Entering the CreatiVerse contest was divinely timed. It came at a moment when I felt like giving up on contests for good. I had lost hope of being supported, and I entered mainly to prove to myself that I really shouldn't try again.
To my pleasant surprise, many women resonated with the words I had written.
I've learned that it's not always about perfect grammar or the perfect word — not if the message gets lost in the technicalities.
I'd like to encourage anyone who feels defeated to listen to that small voice telling them to give it one last try. And one last time again.
There's a platform — a home for you in CreatiVerse.
Mbali Nyabane
Creative Writing Contributor
I would like to give a huge shout out to CreatiVerse as it not only gave me an opportunity to showcase my work but to see just how many people stand by me, from family to friends and fans.
I really enjoyed undergoing this competition. These are the kind of competitions that encourage writers or creative people for that matter not to give up.
Tabana Thoka
Creative Writing Contributor
My experience in entering the competition of the CreatiVerse has been really good. I had a wonderful experience, engaging with different people, competing with different people.
This challenge has shown me that I can achieve whatever I want to achieve. Thank you so much for this opportunity, CreatiVerse.
Brock Yapp
Creative Writing Contributor
I haven't felt the necessity to write as much as I do on this platform. I've written many pieces that I am truly proud of because of the motivation and competition this platform provides. It's great to have such an opportunity.