Breyten Breytenbach is chiefly known in South Africa as an Afrikaans-language poet. He belongs among the generation of poets and authors known as the "sestigers" (sixties group), personally knew many of them, such as Ingrid Jonker and André P. Brink, and his poetry is in every major Afrikaans poetry anthology. He is also known for his paintings and his support for anti-Apartheid groups. He made his debut in 1964 with the poetry collection "Die Ysterkoei moet Sweet". It showed influences from Symbolism, Surrealism and New Realism. Breytenbach argued in favour of the social relevance of art against other Afrikaans literary figures who espoused "art for art's sake."

In 1965 he published a letter in the daily "Die Burger" in which he reacted to the refusal of a visa for his Asian wife by attacking Apartheid.

In 1975 he was arrested by the security police after entering South Africa with a false passport (to gain members for the organisation "Okhela") and was found guilty of being a collaborator of the ANC and a founder member of other banned organisations, as well as 11 terrorist acts aimed at revolution. He was sentenced to nine years in prison, but unexpectedly freed after seven years despite having been denied in every parole application. He left for Paris and became a French citizen in 1983.

In 1986 he was awarded two major literary prizes and made public appearances in South Africa again; however, the reaction to his speeches was such that visas were denied to him in 1987 and 1988.

In 1987 he was involved in a secret conference at Dakar between the ANC and progressive Afrikaner political figures such as Frederick van Zyl Slabbert.

Since the end of Apartheid he has continued to publish poetry and essays in Afrikaans and was a visiting professor from 1995 to 1998.

My main source is the postscript to Breytenbach's "Parool/Parole: Collected Speeches" (2015) published by Penguin Books.