Alliance Française de Durban

Alliance Française de Durban FRENCH LANGUAGE AND CULTURAL CENTRE SINCE 1936
📍 Across Durban & beyond
🌍 Learn French, isiZulu & Portuguese
🪩 Concerts, films, festivals…
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Founded in 1936, Alliance Française de Durban is the French corner of KZN. We promote not only the French language and culture but also, more widely, the dialogue between all cultures and the development of the multi-cultural wealth of the city of Durban and of South Africa. We strive to be a point of reference in Durban for life-long learning, the promotion of art and culture and the exchange of

ideas. A local meeting place for the global family. The Alliance Française of Durban is both a local NPO and the member of a network of more than 800 language and cultural centres around the world.

✈️🌍 Dreaming of your next adventure?Whether you’re planning a holiday in Paris, a business trip to Montréal, or a journe...
07/09/2026

✈️🌍 Dreaming of your next adventure?

Whether you’re planning a holiday in Paris, a business trip to Montréal, or a journey through Francophone Africa, knowing a few words in French can make all the difference!

From navigating airports and hotels to ordering food, asking for directions, or building professional relationships abroad, language helps you travel with confidence and connect more deeply with the people and places you discover.

📚 Our French Minute is a great place to start. But why stop there?

At Alliance Française de Durban, we offer tailor-made French courses designed around your goals and your travel plans. Whether you’re travelling for leisure, work, study, or international business, we’ll help you gain the language skills and cultural confidence to make the most of every journey.

🌎 Because travel is not just about reaching a destination. It’s about connecting with the world.
📞 Contact us today and let’s build a French course that takes you where you want to go!

👉 DM us, call or email 📩 [email protected] or 📞 031 312 9582 / WhatsApp: 066 055 67 74

🎬🌍 The African Cineclub, our monthly club dedicated to films from across the African continent and organized by Alliance...
03/09/2026

🎬🌍 The African Cineclub, our monthly club dedicated to films from across the African continent and organized by Alliance Française Durban in partnership with KZNSA Gallery, Durban, returns this September with a moving and thought-provoking celebration of African cinema:

THE CEMETERY OF CINEMA by Thierno Souleymane Diallo

What happened to Mouramani, considered the very first film made by a Black French-speaking filmmaker?
In 1953, Guinean director Mamadou Touré directed Mouramani, a landmark in African film history. Yet decades later, the film has seemingly vanished. No print has been found. No one knows whether it still exists.
In The Cemetery of Cinema, filmmaker Thierno Souleymane Diallo embarks on a fascinating journey across Africa in search of this lost film. Part detective story, part road movie and part love letter to cinema, the documentary takes us from east to west, north to south, meeting filmmakers, archivists and dreamers along the way.
Filled with humour, tenderness and a deep passion for storytelling, this is not only a quest for a missing film, but also a reflection on memory, heritage and the future of African cinema.

🎞️ THE CEMETERY OF CINEMA by Thierno Souleymane Diallo (Senegal, 2023, 1h33)
🗓️ Wednesday 9 September, 17:30 for 18:00
📍 KZNSA Gallery, 166 Bulwer Road
🎟️ Free entry – Drinks, scones & savoury muffins for sale before 17:30
📞 RSVP via WhatsApp: +27 (0)66 055 6774

Join us for an evening dedicated to the stories behind the stories, and to the enduring power of African cinema.

🌍🚀 Marketing Without Borders @ MANCOSA! What an incredible morning with the students of MANCOSA’s Marketing and Hospital...
01/09/2026

🌍🚀 Marketing Without Borders @ MANCOSA!

What an incredible morning with the students of MANCOSA’s Marketing and Hospitality programmes!

We were absolutely thrilled by the enthusiasm this first Women in Marketing Masterclass generated among the students joining from across the world.🌎 The engagement, the thoughtful questions, the curiosity during the Q&A... you kept us on our toes and we loved every minute of it!

At Alliance Française de Durban, we are passionate about showing that learning French is about so much more than grammar and vocabulary. It is about understanding people, cultures and markets beyond borders. During the session, we explored how language and intercultural skills can become powerful assets for careers in marketing, hospitality and international business.

One of our favourite topics? The incredible diversity of the Francophone world. From Europe to Africa, North America and beyond, French opens doors to multiple cultures, markets and ways of thinking. It’s exactly this intercultural dimension that makes teaching French so exciting, especially when working with professionals and corporate clients navigating international environments.

We were also delighted to visit MANCOSA’s impressive facilities and learn more about the innovative learning environment offered to students. ✨

This masterclass is a wonderful follow-up to our first meeting with MANCOSA a few weeks ago, where we began exploring future collaborations, particularly with the Hospitality Department, whose students benefit from a French module.

And this is only the beginning... 👀 Stay tuned, there are exciting developments ahead!

A huge thank you to Shireen for her energy, vision and determination to make things happen, and to Nthuseng for the warm welcome and hospitality throughout our visit. 💙

MANCOSA

MarketingWithoutBorders

27/08/2026

🎉🎂3000 FOLLOWERS 🎊❤️

Merci 🤩

🎬 Big screen. Real stories. Good coffee.Once a month, we come together to discover lives, histories and voices that dese...
27/08/2026

🎬 Big screen. Real stories. Good coffee.

Once a month, we come together to discover lives, histories and voices that deserve to be heard.

Following our previous screenings, we continue our documentary film series at Humble Coffee with a spectacular and vibrant film. 🌍☕As an echo to the JOMBA! Dance Festival, Alliance Française de Durban invites you to a special screening of LES INDES GALANTES by Philippe Béziat.

Discover an extraordinary artistic adventure that brings together 30 dancers from the worlds of hip-hop, krump, breakdance and voguing with opera singers on the stage of the Paris Opéra Bastille.
Inspired by Jean-Philippe Rameau’s 18th-century masterpiece, this bold reinterpretation by Clément Cogitore breaks down barriers between artistic disciplines, generations and social worlds. From rehearsals to opening night, the film follows the performers as they challenge traditions, redefine what belongs on one of France’s most prestigious stages, and ask a powerful question:
Can a new generation of artists storm the Bastille today?

More than a documentary about dance and music, Indes Galantes is a story about creativity, inclusion, representation and the transformative power of art.
When dance becomes a language for dialogue, resistance and imagination.

🎞️ GALLANT INDIES (INDES GALANTES) by Philippe Béziat (France, 2021, 1h48)
🗓️ Tuesday 1st September, 17:30 for 18:00
📍 Humble Coffee, 222 Lilian Ngoyi Road
🎟️ Free entry, snacks & drinks available for purchase
📞 RSVP via WhatsApp: +27 (0)66 055 6774

Come for the film. Stay for the coffee, the conversations and a celebration of dance in all its forms.

25/08/2026

🇿🇦 ➡️ 🇫🇷 From Durban to Nantes: Sphamandla’s inspiring journey!

A proud alumnus of the Durban University of Technology (DUT), Sphamandla seized the opportunity offered by Campus France South Africa to make his dream a reality: joining the school in Nantes to specialize in naval architecture and marine engineering. 🚢⚓

During the « World of Work » event at DUT, he shared this life-changing experience. His message to South African youth is clear: you don’t need to be fluent to succeed. Even with basic French skills, he found that the language was a vital asset and a key driver in making his project a reality. 🗣️🎓

A powerful testimony showing that borders fade when you have determination and the courage to try. Thank you, Sphamandla, for sharing your story!

Durban University of Technology

🌍 PEPONI is coming to Durban! What does paradise mean to you? And can we create our own sense of paradise wherever we ar...
22/08/2026

🌍 PEPONI is coming to Durban!

What does paradise mean to you? And can we create our own sense of paradise wherever we are?

This September, PEPONI, the first original dance-theatre production by House of Wondar, is touring five Southern African countries, and we’re delighted to welcome the production to Durban! 🇿🇦✨

Meaning “paradise” in Kiswahili, PEPONI brings together eight performers in a powerful exploration of belonging, identity, place and the possibility of creating paradise where we are.

Choreographed by Matthieu Nieto, with dramaturgy by acclaimed South African poet and theatre-maker Koleka Putuma, the production has been developed since March 2026.

🎭 Catch PEPONI at JOMBA! Dance Festival in Durban on 3 & 4 September.

The Durban performances are part of a wider Southern African tour, travelling through Tanzania, South Africa, Eswatini, Botswana and Mozambique, with performances in Dar es Salaam, Mbabane, Gaborone, Johannesburg, Soweto and Maputo.

The tour is supported by the French Institute of South Africa (IFAS), Institut français in Paris and the Alliance Française network in Southern Africa.

✨ Durban | JOMBA! Dance Festival
📍Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre
📅 3 & 4 September 2026
🎟️ Webtickets

Come and discover PEPONI 💫

House of Wondar Jomba Dance French Institute of South Africa, Lesotho and Malawi Institut français France in South Africa, Lesotho and Malawi

✨ We are thrilled to join the very first Women In Marketing Forum Masterclass organised by MANCOSA Durban ✨ Join us as w...
21/08/2026

✨ We are thrilled to join the very first Women In Marketing Forum Masterclass organised by MANCOSA Durban ✨

Join us as we kick off this exciting journey with an engaging conversation exploring “Marketing Without Borders: Unlocking Global Opportunities Through Language” 🎤🌍💡

🗓 Wednesday, 26 August 2026
🕙 10:00 AM
💻 Microsoft Teams (Link in bio)

🎓 Thank you MANCOSA for inviting us to be part of the Women In Marketing Forum Masterclass - an exciting space to connect, learn and be inspired by women shaping the future of marketing and tourism. ✨

🗣️ FRENCH BLABLA is back! 🇫🇷Want to practice your French in a relaxed, friendly space?Come chat, laugh, and meet new peo...
20/08/2026

🗣️ FRENCH BLABLA is back! 🇫🇷

Want to practice your French in a relaxed, friendly space?

Come chat, laugh, and meet new people, whatever your level 💬✨

Once a month at St Clements before the French Cineclub 🎬

📍 St Clements, 191 Musgrave Road
📅 Monday 24 August
⏰ 16:30
💸 Free & open to everyone
📲 RSVP on Whatsapp: +27(0)660556774

No pressure, just good vibes and good conversations 🥐☕

À bientôt St.Clements !

‼️ NOTE THAT THE BLABLA AND THE FRENCH CINECLUB WILL TAKE PLACE ON MONDAY 24 AUGUST AS JOMBA! DANCE FESTIVAL OPENS ON TUESDAY 25 AUGUST

🤩 Yesterday, Alliance Française de Durban and Campus France had the pleasure of attending the WOW (World of Work) Career...
20/08/2026

🤩 Yesterday, Alliance Française de Durban and Campus France had the pleasure of attending the WOW (World of Work) Careers Exhibition, organised by DUT Cooperative Education.

💥 What an intense and rewarding day engaging with students eager to discover how French can open doors to international study, career opportunities and global mobility. From scholarships to study abroad programmes, it was inspiring to see so much curiosity and ambition among the future graduates of KwaZulu-Natal. 👩🏽‍🎓👨‍🎓

🙏 We were especially fortunate to be joined by Thabiso, a DUT student currently completing a three-month Work-Integrated Learning placement at Alliance Française de Durban, as well as Sphamandla, a DUT student who, through a Campus France programme, had the opportunity to study at Centrale Nantes in 2025 – one of France’s top-ranking engineering schools with strong international recognition and close links to industry. Throughout the day, Sphamandla generously shared his experience and insights with fellow students, helping them envision their own international journeys. 🚀🌍✨

A sincere thank you to DUT for inviting us alongside leading companies and organisations to showcase the opportunities that French can offer in higher education, employability and international careers. As a member of the advisory board of the Language Practice Department, we are always eager to strengthen our links with DUT.

Campus France France in South Africa, Lesotho and Malawi Durban University of Technology

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Durban

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Monday 09:00 - 13:00
13:30 - 17:30
Tuesday 09:00 - 13:00
13:30 - 17:30
Wednesday 09:00 - 13:00
13:30 - 17:30
Thursday 09:00 - 13:00
13:30 - 17:30
Friday 09:00 - 13:00
13:30 - 17:00
Saturday 09:00 - 12:00

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