Kingsmead 2026

“Moving, fearless and unforgettable. Swift does what the very best books do: brings us into the beating heart of our humanity.” - Craig HigginsonWritten in the six weeks following the sudden death of Mat, Ferguson's soul mate, Swift is a memoir that unfolds, breath by breath, as the narrator moves through shock, fury, unspeakable sorrow, and an almost mythic sense of responsibility to save the life of a Swift, which she rescued seven days before her beloved left Earth.She somehow keeps the half-dead Swift alive through the blur of grief, but she has no real clue what she's doing. Mat was the one who knew all about birds. He was the man with the heart of feathers who identified the rescue bird as a Little Swift when she brought it home. Mat told her many things about the bird: that it never touches the ground, that it eats, sleeps, drinks, and mates on the wing, and that it is a bird that can fly for up to two years without landing.In the aftermath of his shocking departure, and all its absurd bureaucratic requirements, an unlikely long-distance Swift guide appears in Ferguson's DMs on old Twitter. Her name is Hannah, a hardcore Swift activist from the UK. Ferguson is mesmerized by the Swift Queen's ethereal beauty and the tattoos of Swifts across her back.

Some secrets can’t be burnt away. Cops are being murdered all over the city, each falling victim to a designer poison that causes them to bleed out. Unable to make a breakthrough in the case and with the bodies piling up, detectives Ruben and Zander recruit counsellor Melissa to help them. Hoping that her unique insights into the human psyche might help trigger a discovery, they’re expecting to hunt down some kind of deranged lunatic. The real murderer, however, is a devilishly intelligent professor of human physiology, an academic icon standing on the brink of a groundbreaking discovery. Why is he killing them? How many more will fall victim to his brilliance? And who’s next?

Since the Zuma presidency weakened crime intelligence, violent crime has surged, with murder rates rising by over 75%.South Africa faces a severe femicide crisis, and most murderers evade justice.Prisons often fail by perpetuating crime; harsher sentences do not help.After visiting prisons, Edwin Cameron advocates for reform.With colleagues, he recommends abolishing minimum sentences and cash bail, and decriminalizing drug use to improve safety and justice.

At 39, Michelle Roniak underwent cosmetic surgery—in secrecy.She hated her torso and had spent a lifetime chasing the hourglass figure. Liposuction felt like the final solution. Her surgeon suggested a small gap at the top of her thighs—it was trendy. Why not?There wasn’t a flicker of doubt that anything could go wrong. She’d had Botox, fillers, even a boob job. All successful. All with top professionals—this one included.Botches were for back-alley surgeons.What followed was catastrophic. Her body ballooned instead of shrinking. Morphed. Possessed. Grief hit like a terminal diagnosis, and self-blame moved in, savage and unrelenting. Shame swallowed her whole.She couldn’t find a single book, forum, or guide for women like her.So she wrote one.Through that sticky, suffocating grief, a deeper truth: She had been living with Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD)—a relentless, unspoken battle where perceived flaws became an obsession, and self-acceptance always felt out of reach.Healing from Botched Cosmetic Surgery is a raw, unflinching memoir about body dysmorphia, plastic surgery gone wrong, and the silent shame women carry. It is for anyone who has battled body image, endured the trauma of a cosmetic surgery nightmare, or is searching for a story of resilience and healing.A mommy makeover—minus the baby. Her artillery. Her high. This is not just a story about what went wrong. It’s about what it takes to come back.

Imagine starting with a bold mission in 2012: to achieve financial inclusion through a multi-country bank. Within a decade, this vision becomes one of the fastest-growing fintechs in the world.Now, picture starting this business in South Africa, a country the IMF ranked as the hardest place to do business out of 49 countries surveyed. Imagine having the foresight to partner with a family-owned food retailer to establish a low-cost, physical banking footprint. Such success didn’t go unnoticed and one of the world’s largest banks acquired the company. A clash of cultures followed and, just four years later, the divestment. Despite the risks, one of South Africa’s wealthiest entrepreneurs stepped in to take control. Then came Covid-19. The business nearly hit the wall and shareholders demanded a successor of their choosing be trained. A frantic 217 pitches for fresh capital yielded no success. And then, at the eleventh hour, there was a reprieve as one investor and then another stepped up.Now, imagine launching in the Philippines, replicating and improving what works while designing an entirely new cloud-based banking stack with over 500 Vietnamese developers. Imagine assembling a team from Italy, the US, the UK, South Africa, Vietnam, the Philippines, Australia, India and Zimbabwe. Picture shaping a culture where failure is part of growth, and audacity is the norm, not the exception. Imagine becoming the global poster child for AI in banking and receiving an email in June 2025, informing you that your company is one of Time magazine’s Top 100 most influential companies in the world. This incredible story unfolds within the pages of It’s About Tyme.Endorsements"Courage and audacity are not just bold strategies — they’re the safest. Because playing it safe is, ironically, the riskiest thing you can do." — Roger Grobler, a long-standing investor in Tyme

Wisani Maluleke is studying at Wits and juggling three jobs to keep the lights on while caring for her bedridden mother and her younger brother. Life in Soweto has made her tough and resilient, but she’s stretched to breaking point until her research project leads her to the Bafokeng brothers, heirs to the feared Marashea underworld. At the heart of this brotherhood is Mohapi Mofokeng: broody, commanding, and dangerous. Set in Soweto and Lesotho. "Masterful storytelling" - Takalani M

‘Indian women expire at twenty-five.’‘We aren’t milk. We can’t be spoiled.’Tasneem, a 27-year-old psychology student, is determined to rebuild her life after the devastating loss of her newborn and a painful divorce. But in her close-knit Muslim-Indian community in Gauteng, the stigma of divorce weighs heavily, and her mother insists on finding her a new husband – even if it means orchestrating a traditional ‘samoosa run’.Aadil is a bachelor hiding a life-changing secret. Under pressure from his devoted mother, he agrees to meet Tasneem. When this encounter sparks an unexpected connection, they strike a deal: a pretend engagement to keep their families off their backs.But as make-belief turns to something dangerously real, Tasneem and Aadil must confront old wounds and the truth that could tear their worlds- and hearts- apart.

Three bodies are found scattered across South Africa. One on the shores of the Indian Ocean, one in a farm invasion in modern KwaZulu-Natal, and one in 1880, in the aftermath of the Anglo-Zulu War.Detective Sannie van Rensburg and marine biologist and former soldier Adam Kruger are each on the trail of a mystery, while more than a century ago colonial police officer Peter Gregory has a secret: to find the lost sword of Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte. But he’s not the only one who wants it.From the blood-soaked battlefields of colonial-era Zululand to the modern-day political struggles over land and poaching in South Africa and war in the Middle East, these investigations are on a dangerous collision course. Because people will kill for a symbol of power.A heart-stopping chase across South Africa to find Napoleon’s priceless lost sword, by the master of adventure, Tony Park.

In the wake of her beloved grandfather’s death, Lou and her family gather at their coastal family home for a long-awaited reunion. The windswept, wild surroundings remind Lou of who she was before she became a mother, a wife, and a professional failure. They bring back memories of Michael, her toxic first love and, according to the family, her ‘bad luck penny’. A shocking crisis in the country disrupts the funeral arrangements and forces the family together for longer than planned. As secrets rise to the surface, the threads of Lou’s life unravel and she faces a difficult choice — after all, it’s only a bad luck penny if you pick it up.

In Predatory Welfare, Erin Torkelson explores how the direct cash transfer program instituted in South Africa revised and reworked post-apartheid racialized and gendered dispossession, despite its promise of ameliorating extreme poverty. Beginning in 2012, she focuses on how poor Black South African women assert their entitlements to social assistance and responsibilities to familial care against the pressures of expropriation built into the grant payment system. Because the grants did not cover monthly bills, recipients were pushed into predatory loans collateralized by welfare payments. Torkelson finds that the state-sponsored but privately-run program was fundamentally undermined by its reliance on digital financial technologies which encoded wider forces of colonial rule, nationalist politics, and global development. Even when the government assumed control of grant payment in 2018, the neoliberal bent of fiscal policy continued to drive recipients into debt in new ways. Drawing on seven years of ethnographic fieldwork and organization—in grant payment queues, loan offices, grocery stores, Parliament, and the Constitutional Court—Torkelson demonstrates how cash transfers can offer a means to making racial capitalism more acceptable and how recipients can push back to demand reparation.

This family saga is told through the lens of the third generation of women who surround Lemohang Ntoi, the head of the family, as he struggles to hold onto life as he knew it. It is the Ntoi women’s assertiveness and drive that threaten Lemohang’s position and ideals for this family. We see their attempts at healing past trauma while they pursue their dreams. Fabrics of Love navigates issues around culture, legacy, love and marriage.

From the bustling township of Mamelodi to the heart of European diplomacy in Brussels, Mbali Langa has fought for every opportunity – and sacrificed more than she cares to admit. As a rising diplomat with a sharp mind and an unwavering ambition, she is no stranger to the delicate balance of power and persuasion.But when an illicit affair threatens to shatter her career, and hidden enemies begin to close in, she finds herself trapped in a game where trust is a luxury she can’t afford. In Brussels, behind the polished façades of diplomacy, lies a dangerous world of secrets, betrayals and high-stakes deception – where one wrong move could cost her everything.Caught between duty, love and the weight of her past, Mbali must decide just how far she’s willing to go to secure the future she’s always dreamed of.A gripping story of power, ambition, and the price of desire.

The results of the 29 May 2024 elections caused a seismic shift in South Africa’s political landscape. For the first time in three decades of democracy, the ruling ANC did not emerge with a majority.With a constitutional deadline of just fourteen days to elect a president, the nation held its breath. Would the ANC forge a so-called doomsday coalition with the EFF and Patriotic Alliance, or a centrist partnership with its nemesis, the DA? What role would smaller parties play, and how would Jacob Zuma’s disruptive MK party impact on the negotiations?The Deal takes you behind the scenes of the negotiations that redefined a nation, providing exclusive interviews with party leaders, unique insights and stories, thoughtful analysis and vital context. From the exclusive Inanda Club to clandestine hotel basements and affluent private houses on Johannesburg’s Westcliff Ridge, negotiating teams met under immense pressure. Amidst volatile markets, a skittish currency and intense social media scrutiny, every decision was critical.Witness the nail-biting moments as talks through bilaterals and back channels teetered on the brink of collapse, and discover the personality clashes, factionalism and deft political manoeuvring that ultimately led to the establishment of the Government of National Unity. The Deal is a compelling record of history.

Belle Acres is a dairy farm in the district of Somabhula in Southern Rhodesia. The year is 1977, and the farm has been in the hands of the Williams family since the turn of the century. The farm is managed by Paul Williams, a seemingly harsh and bigoted man, who holds the livelihood of many black labourers in his hands. Maria, the daughter of one of the workers, joins the liberation movement, leaving behind her daughter, Angel in the care of her mother and grandmother who have been in service to the Williams family for years. Angel grows up on the farm during two and a half momentous decades that see a complicated history and legacy unfold into an equally complicated present. An Angel's Demise deals with a woman's quest to unearth her identity and assert her independence. In the process of self-discovery, she loses herself completely and realises that sometimes you need to be totally uprooted before you can establish yourself.

I was here. This happened. It mattered. And now, I am ready to carry on. This is not a book about breakups. It’s about erasure. About the quiet harm that can live inside love, the kind that doesn’t leave bruises on the skin but rewrites the architecture of your mind. It's for anyone who's wondered whether they were overreacting, too sensitive, too much, too little. Anyone who has asked, ‘Am I the problem?’ Joy Watson’s exquisite excavation of the female psyche traces the inner lives of three women: Zara, Mira and Thuli. Their stories unfold in fragments, with beginnings, middles and endings that are not always clean, and are interwoven with reflections from the author’s own experience. These are real stories, lightly fictionalised to protect those who lived them. If you have ever felt lonelier in a relationship than you were on your own, this book is for you. And as you begin again, you are not alone.

In the shadow of a flawless facade, the Coal family’s dynasty teeters on the brink of collapse. Luna Parks’ marriage balances on a powder keg of secrets and lies, and the arrival of an unwelcome guest on the Coal farm is the spark that sets it ablaze. With the Fletchers’ sinister grip tightening on the town of Clanwilliam, the advocate emerges as the last line of defence against the forces of destruction. Cameron Coal is forced to confront an impossible choice: will love be the salvation or the downfall of the rooibos farm, a legacy forged in blood and sweat? And will Luna’s devotion be enough to bring the family together? With every twist and turn, the stakes get higher, and the truth threatens to rip everyone apart.Against the backdrop of South Africa’s tumultuous rural landscape, this gripping tale exposes the intricate dance between power, corruption and the human condition. Can the advocate untangle the web of deceit, or will the pursuit of justice and truth be sacrificed at the altar of money and influence?

Just before she dies, the writer’s mother leaves her with a difficult secret and a kist containing the family archives. Detective-style, she sets out to unpack the kist and weave together the story of her parents, descendants of German Lutheran missionaries. As she delves into the relics, documents, photographs, and correspondence between her parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents, she realizes the difficulty of retrieving the past, if not the impossibility. She records memories of her childhood and of the people who inhabited the mission village of Hermannsburg, founded in the 1850s in KwaZulu-Natal. We join her in games, songs, meals, and explorations around the village and the surrounding landscape. As a passionate love story unfolds, her detective’s eye morphs, and the gaze on her parents softens.In the end, she sets out on a physical journey to Hermannsburg. We visit the school she attended and join her in her search for the family of Grace Sithole, who had mothered her. We enter the mission house, now turned into a museum. Standing in a room full of religious ephemera, she has the visceral sensation of how everybody’s lives had been controlled by the concept of sin and sinning. Finally, she finds some resolution in the foothills of the Drakensberg and in the fullness of completing her parents’ story.The Sinners’ Bench uses different modes and tones to tell a story. The personal story is conveyed as a memoir, which in turn is embedded in family history. This history is explored as part of the history and culture of the German Lutheran missionaries in South Africa.

Loony Birds, Lion Men and the Snake That Was a Gerbil draws from Bristow’s Stories from the Veld collection to bring readers the ultimate compilation of fascinating characters, extraordinary insights and action-packed bush tales of derring-do. Meet a five-foot-tall, gender-bending doctor prone to gun duels and a Khoi chief who escaped Robben Island multiple times. Venture to Mapungubwe, South Africa’s very own El Dorado; learn how the Sabi Reserve’s first game ranger fought off two lions with the help of his trusty hound, and get ready to be astonished.

In this intimate and modern poetry collection, Zubayr Charles seeks healing amidst the shocks of personal and social rejection, navigating the paradoxes of identity and love. Vivid, brave and witty, the sad boy’s starter pack is a reclamation of the self and a homecoming for the lonely and estranged. Invoking a strong sense of place, Charles’ Cape Town shapes what it means to be queer and Coloured. With a deft hand, the poet shapes the city in turn. Charles’ poems explore the tension between desire and detachment, longing and all-consuming love. This volume takes familiar, timeless themes by storm, forging them anew with luminous self-possession.

Secrets are stacking up like wine barrels in the heat. And this year’s ferment? It’s definitely going sour.Winifred and Sylvie are keeping one eye on the dwindling bank balance of their bookshop-café and another on the menacing villager who knows too much about their side-hustle, which is anything but legal. When a wine-themed reality TV show rolls into town, the village of Riviersvalleij erupts in excitement. For Winnie and Sylvie, it should be a welcome distraction. But there’s nothing more real than reality TV and the cameras bring their own complications.Sylvie is convinced the slick presenter is greasier than her freshest vetkoek and Winnie chokes on her Sauvignon Blanc when she hears that Skokiaan, the mampoer king, is suddenly bottling five-star wine.But then a body turns up in the leiwater... When survival depends on keeping the freezer door — or wine vat — firmly shut, how far will Winifred and Sylvie go to protect their deadly secret?

In a world where the church is meant to be a beacon of freedom, grace, and truth, many believers find themselves trapped in a system of confusion, manipulation, and financial strain. Instead of walking in the freedom Christ offers, countless Christians feel burdened by guilt-driven practices and expectations that have little to do with the gospel. This reality is particularly evident when we examine one of the most controversial issues in modern church tithing.Believers often struggle with the question: Are modern tithing practices rooted in truth or tradition? In Preacher Let My People Go, Zakhe Mazibuko delves into the history and theology of tithing, exposing its evolution and often controversial role in today’s churches. The author also shares his own compelling story with boldness and compassion, and challenges manipulative practices as he invites believers to rediscover the joy of giving rooted in grace and freedom.Preacher Let My People Go explores a theme that concerns every believer. The author addresses the topic with theological depth and candid honesty, delivering an enjoyable and relatable read in the process.This book is perfect for pastors, congregants, and anyone seeking to align their faith with the truth and authentic biblical principles.

Four thirty-something girlfriends navigate the complexities of love and life in upmarket Johannesburg. Nomzamo yearns to have her own child, but her husband keeps postponing. Is he truly too busy or is something else going on? Kioni is in seventh heaven when Michael finally wants to commit. But does he really? Or is he just trying to get back into her bed? Single mom Jazmine has sworn off love – until a charming new doctor arrives at her hospital, testing her resolve. And Asanda, fiercely independent and at the top of her game, is determined to find the perfect man to match her perfect life. As their lives twist and tangle in unexpected ways, these four women will discover that love is never simple – but always worth it.

'You can't win it all. But everything, and I mean everything, can be lost.'Welcome to Vivo. Art, Maggie and Felix spend all their time at the Mean Monsoon, drinking and talking about making it big. Art loves Maggie but has a problem with his heart. Maggie loves music but can't get a break. Felix, who's currently homeless, loves everyone. But things are about to change for these three friends with the arrival of a well-dressed and enigmatic stranger.Playful, nostalgic, sexy, philosophical, original, stylish and just plain cool, The Dogs of Vivo has it all.

Danny Marais is the twin brother of the beautiful, talented Charlie.The Wildest Beauty is a remarkable novel, an account of their early childhood to their eventual enlistment in the First World War. From their placidly peaceful Stellenbosch schooldays to, ultimately, the battle of Delville Wood, Danny keeps a loving but half-resentful eye on his brother.Though set largely in wartime, the novel is an intimate account of a small group of friends and family, including the loving parents left behind in Stellenbosch. And then there is Danny’s life-changing encounter, in the darkened streets of wartime London, with a wryly cynical, battle-scarred officer.In the midst of the greatest conflict in history, facing the wild beauty of ‘the abyss of unmeaning,’ Danny discovers the power of love, between friends, family — and even foes.

New Year 1988/1989: A theatre student, a taxi driver, a partisan, and a crook join a detective's family in Kiev for an ill-fated reunion. They and the Soviet nation face a violent reckoning as old secrets and fugitive hopes emerge.EndorsementsWinner of the Best of Novel prize in the 2025 Sunspot Literary Journal Solar Flare Contest

Hell of a Country is a creative reimagining of the Scissors Murder – a famous crime from early 1970s South Africa.Eighteen-year-old Lorraine van Niekerk despises the fact that her boss and lover, middle-aged André Bekker, won’t leave his wife, Sunette, and marry her instead. Then one day her life fatefully intersects with driver Alfie Geemooi, a recent amputee who is on the run from the police.André is an orthopaedic technician, and Lorraine can grant access to the prosthesis Alfie desperately needs — but at one hell of a price…A pacy, poetic novel told from multiple points of view, Hell of a Country is a riveting true-crime story that examines the fault lines between power and desire.

Making a Life explores the dynamic everyday life-making strategies of young men in Zandspruit, a sprawling informal settlement on the outskirts of Johannesburg. In many ways Zandspruit typifies the precariousness of life within South Africa, where two-thirds of young people lack waged employment. However, rather than seeing Zandspruit as dumping ground, Hannah Dawson calls for an integrated understanding of the complex linkages between people’s lives and livelihoods, and the multifaceted socio-political landscape of urban settlements. Based on 14 months of ethnographic research, Dawson investigates how social belonging, identity and economic realities intertwine in places such as Zandspruit. This approach not only challenges conventional approaches to studying work; it also questions the increasingly prevalent perspective that romanticises the adaptive survival strategies of the urban poor. By exploring the intricate connections between those with and without wages, the author shows how young men manage complex social, political and economic conditions. Making a Life offers insights into issues such as urban work, citizenship, un(der)employment and inequality in South Africa. At the same time, it contributes to a global understanding of how young people – men especially – manage economic uncertainty.

The Chaos Precinct presents a compelling, brave – at times, lyrical – narrative of how migrant Ethiopians have shaped a trading post in Johannesburg’s inner city.On maps it is defined as the eastern edge of the original administrative area of Johannesburg. Those of us who have encountered the area of the city centre roughly bounded by Plein, Troye, Pritchard and von Brandis Streets have coined various names for it. The Ethiopian Quarter, Little Ethiopia and Little Addis are phrases we exchange in animated conversations about this unique entrepreneurial explosion. This exoticises a booming makeshift shopping hub that emerged without any formal planning intention or support. Municipal officials speak informally of the area as the ‘Chaos Precinct’. But the traders in the area call it by the hallmark road – Jeppe. For them it is a place of opportunity and fevered trade – in which the annual revenue generated is twice that of Africa’s wealthiest shopping mall. Jeppe is a dynamic, exuberant nerve centre that fosters entrepreneurship.Fortunes are made, loved ones back home are supported and commodities flow across Southern Africa – particularly fast fashion. Local and cross-border traders arrive on buses and taxis to buy shoes, t-shirts, dresses, underwear, jeans, suits, wallets, belts, nail clippers and cosmetics. Though situated on the dry Highveld, Jeppe is an entrepôt which bears a close resemblance to major port cities.

'Each one of these boxes contains a human being . . . We ran out of drawers,' the professor explains, 'so we started using these boxes.'Nicole Engelbrecht is back with a new book that delves into the cold cases of her phenomenally popular True Crime SA podcast.In Bare Bones, she re-examines missing-person and murder cases she has covered in her podcast series, and revisits the leads she tracked and the interviews she conducted. Much of the information has never been made public before.From the bones of a Jane Doe discovered under a swimming pool to a troubled young man who seemed to vanish in the prison system, from a business trip turned deadly to a child snatched from outside her home, Engelbrecht sifts the evidence anew and shines a light on old and new unsolved cases in the hope of bringing closure to the victims' families and friends. Join her in the search for the truth behind the scenes of the podcast desk.,

Chasing the Internet—From Backyards to Boardrooms chronicles Alan Knott-Craig's relentless pursuit to bridge South Africa's digital divide, taking listeners from his early entrepreneurial struggles to building one of the country's most innovative connectivity companies.This isn't just another startup story—it's a blueprint for purpose-driven entrepreneurship in emerging markets.

A chronicle of life as a minister’s daughter in post-apartheid South Africa. Through the lens of her father’s forty-year ministry at a Presbyterian church in Cape Town’s northern suburbs, Hannah Botsis explores faith, family, and racial privilege with unflinching honesty. A meditation on grace and belonging, this story illuminates how communities navigate change while wrestling with their complicated histories.

Unleashed is the hilarious, intensely honest memoir of Caitlin Venniker’s journey from Onderstepoort, the only veterinary training institution in South Africa, into the heart of private practice, with a few stops in the United Kingdom and Middle East along the way.It’s a story of growing up, juggling owners with high expectations and animals with big opinions, bluffing confidence, quirky colleagues, cows with anger issues and midnight emergencies. It’s about navigating the challenges of dating, using coffee as a crutch, finding humour in dark moments, and the immense joy and grief that come with loving animals.Endorsements‘Unleashed is filled with empathy, depth and a charming touch of humour at the perfect moments.’ — Sylvester Chauke‘An effortlessly comedic and deeply moving tale of a vet finding her feet and purpose. Venniker is that rare guide who’s honest, witty and relatable.’ — Alastair McAlpine‘Fascinating, funny and poetically heartbreaking. Who knew the secret life of a vet would be a page-turner?’ — Dion Chang‘Unleashed is a book that celebrates life.’ — Mike Nicol

Widely regarded as one of the foremost dramatists of the nineteenth century, Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen (1828–1906) brought the social problems and ideas of his day to center stage. Creating realistic plays of psychological conflict that emphasized character over cunning plots, he frequently inspired critical objections because his dramas deemed the individual more important than the group.In this powerful work, Ibsen places his main character, Dr. Thomas Stockman, in the role of an enlightened and persecuted minority of one confronting an ignorant, powerful majority. When the physician learns that the famous and financially successful baths in his hometown are contaminated, he insists they be shut down for expensive repairs. For his honesty, he is persecuted, ridiculed, and declared an "enemy of the people" by the townspeople, including some who have been his closest allies.First staged in 1883, An Enemy of the People remains one of the most frequently performed plays by a writer considered by many the "father of modern drama."

For over three decades, the remarkable story of Umkhonto we Sizwe’s Special Operations Unit has remained largely untold. Formed under the direct command of ANC president Oliver Tambo and senior ANC and SACP leader Joe Slovo, this elite unit executed some of the most daring and high-profile attacks against the apartheid state in the 1980s. From the spectacular 1980 Sasol bombings to the 1987 attack at the Wits Command, Special Ops was at the forefront of the armed struggle, targeting strategic economic and military sites with precision and determination.In this groundbreaking book, the history of Special Ops is brought to life through the voices of its surviving participants. Based on interviews with 48 individuals, this oral history offers an intimate and comprehensive look at the unit's operations, challenges, and achievements. Also drawing from press reports, TRC records, and official documents, the narrative provides a balanced assessment of the political context, role, and significance of Special Ops within the broader ANC-led national liberation struggle. Attacking the Heart of Apartheid is an essential read for anyone interested in the history of the anti-apartheid struggle, the dynamics of armed resistance, and the power of collective action in the pursuit of justice and equality.

On 16 June 1976, thousands of Black South African school children took to the streets of Soweto in protest against the introduction of Afrikaans as a medium of instruction under apartheid education. Met with brutal police force, many never returned home. This pivotal day, now remembered as the start of the Soweto Uprising, also reverberated through the walls of 6001, Lebo Diseko’s family home in Orlando East. In The House at 6001, Diseko traces the intertwined lives of her parents and her aunts and uncles who gathered, organised and resisted within their four-room Soweto house. From banning orders and exile to late-night parties filled with music and defiance, their story captures both the intimacy and the enormity of South Africa’s struggle. Drawing on unsealed government documents, interviews and her own personal journey to revisit her family history and home, Diseko offers a moving memoir of resistance, secrets and the lasting cost of freedom.

Lidia Rauch was born at the crossroads of South Africa's past and present – the granddaughter of one of apartheid's longest-serving ministers, raised in a world constructed for her comfort, yet called to reckon with its cost. Her story moves between privilege and pain: from a childhood marked by fracture, to a career within the machinery of government, to the long, uneasy road of reckoning with what it means to be white, Afrikaans, and free in a country still carrying the weight of its past. In this fearless and tender memoir, Lidia turns toward the truth – dismantling the myths she was raised on, confronting the discomfort she once avoided, and choosing responsibility over denial. Along the way she encounters the people and moments that changed her – from the townships of Cape Town to the rooms where power is brokered – and discovers that freedom is not a gift bestowed by the system, but a commitment we make to one another. Apartheid's Granddaughter is not a story of guilt or absolution, but of courage and repair. It's an invitation to white South Africans to face their inheritance with honesty and courage. Both intimate and universal, this book reminds us that transformation is possible – and that healing begins when we choose to see ourselves and one another.

The digital world moves at breakneck speed. Since then, we’ve seen the rise of ‘we did it, Joe’, the fall of Harambe, the spread of ‘sus’—and that’s just the memes. Today’s teens have to navigate AI, deep fakes, misinformation, and so much more. Meanwhile, the law struggles to keep up, leaving plenty of hidden legal pitfalls. If fully developed adult brains struggle with it, what hope does a teenager’s freshly baked prefrontal cortex have? Enter Rorke and Emma with How Not to Mess Up Online. Emma is a continental digital law specialist (and first responder to every social media crisis). Rorke, an elder Gen Z, has the lived experience teens can relate to. Together, they break down the digital world’s biggest challenges and help teens to exist consciously—and, hopefully, safely—online. This book covers everything every teen should know: cyberbullying, sexting, sextortion, addiction, online safety, deep fakes, mental health, privacy, reputation, misinformation, scams, AI, ChatGPT, plagiarism, new laws, and more—all in a South African context. With real-life case studies from Emma’s work and unfortunate anecdotes from Rorke’s life in the digital trenches, we help today’s youth reap the benefits of the internet without ever needing to place a call to The Digital Law Company.

Julian Jansen tells the Deveney Nel story.As Rapport’s crime reporter, Julian Jansen has written about the case from the start. He draws on his extensive contacts in the police and interviews with friends and family to reconstruct the events leading to the tragedy and to honour the murdered young girl. He also investigates the failures of the state and draws lessons on how it can be prevented from happening again.

From booking a seat on Bark Air to planning a pet-friendly holiday, A Pawfect Life is packed with practical advice for modern pet parents – along with a hilarious deep dive into just how far we’ve gone to pamper our furry overlords. Dion Chang unpacks the latest trends, from CBD treats for anxious dachshunds to birthday pawties as well as pawternity leave for new pet owners, while also tackling the trickier side of pet parenting.Speaking to animal behaviour expert Leigh Shenker, Chang explores why we spend small fortunes on our pets – and whether treating them like tiny humans is actually a good idea. As a trained pet doula, he also delves into the complexities of pet loss, grief and saying goodbye.Equal parts insightful and absurd, this book will make you laugh, rethink your pet’s power over you, and finally figure out how to navigate an airport pet relief zone like a pro.Your pet runs your life. You just haven’t admitted it yet.

So, this was a hot flush. The utterly pointless flag-bearer of menopause. That explained a lot. She held her body as upright as possible on the cramped seat, like one of those hot-stepping lizards in the Namib desert, and tried to look like she was having a detecting epiphany.‘Shame, you’re really sweating, hey,’ said Gladys.‘Don’t worry. It’s coming for you, too.’Normally quick-witted and sharp-eyed, Detective Fatima Matthews is being sucker-punched by menopause, and that’s not even the half of it. Someone is playing deadly games with a local publisher; a reader is found dead with melted eyes, and just when she could really use a career boost, her internal polygraph decides to flatline.As the threats escalate and one crisis triggers another, Fatima must come to terms with what it means to face your frailties, and whether a second chance is really possible when your greatest adversary is time.With plagiarism scandals, buried secrets, and red herrings aplenty, Andrea Shaw’s thrilling debut gives the local publishing industry its moment in the sun.

Popina Khumanda was five years old when a group of strangers invaded her village, bringing fire and death and terror that a young girl should never imagine. The Smallest Ones is a harrowing and powerful true story of survival and resilience in the war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo in the early 2000s. Popina recounts her capture by rebel soldiers, the killing of neighbours and friends, and the cruel torture and rape of the survivors. She shows how young boys were moulded into child soldiers and others were forced into slave labour. She recalls her flight for freedom with her older sister, beginning an epic journey to South Africa – and how, even so far away, their nightmare was not over. The Smallest Ones bears witness to the destructive impact of conflict on innocent lives, particularly children and women. Written with raw emotion and unflinching honesty, this book will take you to the darkest corners of human experience, yet it is also a testament to the enduring power of hope and the will to survive. This is not just a story of tragedy, but a poignant exploration of the human spirit’s capacity to endure and overcome.

Force for Good is a bold and refreshingly balanced exploration of positive masculinity, written to inspire men to become powerful forces for good in a world that desperately needs them to step into this role. The book challenges the extremes that often define the discourse around masculinity – aggressive dominance on one side and passive disengagement on the other. It offers a vision of true and healthy masculinity that is both strong and gentle, fierce and safe, confident and humble. At its core is the conviction that men are made to be powerful forces, but only in service of what is good. Power, often misunderstood or negatively viewed, is essential. Without it, a man cannot fulfil his potential or meet the needs of those who depend on him. Power itself is neutral; how it is used determines whether it becomes a force for good or harm. The book is divided into three parts – Being Man, Becoming a Force, and Doing Good – and builds a compelling case for the value of healthy masculinity. It explores the internal and external battles men face, the journey from boyhood to manhood, and the sacred responsibility to grow in strength and purpose. Force for Good calls men to action, not against others but for the good of others. It is a timely, courageous invitation to be all that a man was made to be, because such a man will be a Force for Good.

South Africa can sometimes appear to be awash with occult crime. From satanist conspiracies and witchcraft accusations to muti murders and demonic possession, a trawl through our national news suggests a society at war with the forces of evil. Why does the occult have such a grasp on our collective imagination? In this vastly unequal country, with its crises of gender-based violence, child abuse, poverty and unemployment, there are more than enough obvious dangers to our social stability. Why, then, are South Africans so quick to blame the supernatural for violence and misfortune? How do beliefs in occult crime intersect with problems of gender, race and class? And is there any truth to these supernatural tales? The Devil Made Me Do It examines these and other thorny questions by probing the stories, beliefs and rumours behind the so-called occult crimes that have entranced South Africa’s fractured psyche. They include the murder of a child mistaken for a tokoloshe in the 1920s, the satanic panic that gripped the nation in the 1980s and 1990s, the Krugersdorp cult killings of 2012–16, and the muti murder of a six-year-old girl in 2022. What can these crimes, and the way they are represented by media, police and other institutions, tell us about South Africa today?

Tannie Maria is wrestling with a fear of the dark, and her hen, Henrietta, has PTSD. But this doesn’t stop this intrepid agony aunt from going undercover with her fiancé, Detective Henk Kannemeyer, to the Karoo Wilderness Reserve. They're there to save the vetplantjies. At the KWR luxury game lodge, they spy on guests and support the Anti-Poaching Unit in a battle against dangerous criminals. Jessie attends the succulent symposium addressing international succulent poaching. Then, there is a murder ...Our favourite Ladismith sleuths – Maria, Henk, Jessie, Hattie, Reghardt and Piet – engage with a colourful cast of characters, including a barefoot artist, a botanist cowboy, a singing gardener, a shaman, and a sangoma. Between spying on tourists, solving murders, writing agony-aunt letters, eating divine food and having epiphanies, Maria and Henk get fabulous fashion tips from a couturier and his Baroness.But soon they too will be in the crosshairs.

Walking Wild is not your typical safari — no game drives, no cool sundowners and definitely no fences. Instead, it's 605 km of dust, sweat and unforgettable moments as an unlikely group of strangers sets out to walk the entire length of Kruger National Park. Over six stages and three years, they walked from Crooks' Corner in the far north to Malelane in the south, averaging 20 km a day with heavy backpacks and only the wild for company.Led by two armed guides, they braved blistering heat and violent storms. At night, as hyenas nosed their tents and lionesses strolled right through camp, some slept soundly — others lay wide eyed, waiting for dawn.They drank from murky trickles in dry riverbeds, navigated thick riverine bush teeming with hippo, buffalo and crocodiles, and slowly learnt to read the bush — from the smallest antlion to the distant roar of a lion.But Kruger's wilderness is not without its challenges. Poachers — both criminal syndicates and those in search of bushmeat — move in the shadows, rivers bring pollution from beyond its borders, and conservation battles rage on.Walking Wild captures the magic and the madness of life on foot in one of the world's most iconic national parks. It's a story of adventure, camaraderie and deep immersion in the wild — a journey that leaves no one unchanged. Walking Wild is a testament to resilience, discovery and the deep connection between people and nature.If you've ever dreamt of experiencing Kruger beyond the safari vehicle, this book is your ticket to the trail.

Meet the inspiring kasipreneurs of the informal economy, from bakers to backroom rental barons, coffee innovators to goat breeders, kasi delivery people to spaza innovators, mattress makers, backroom builders, vetkoek fryers and chicken dust queens, kota franchises and backyard auto mechanics.These kasipreneurs not only sustain their communities but also drive considerable economic growth and social improvement. Each one has a unique story, yet they share a common thread of perseverance, innovative spirit, resilience and ingenuity. While formal statistics paint a bleak picture of widespread unemployment, this book tells a different story — one of ingenuity, resilience and drive. These are the men and women who are creating their own opportunities, building livelihoods, and contributing to the economy in ways that often go unrecognised. Their stories challenge the narrative and shine a light on a vibrant, entrepreneurial spirit thriving in the heart of the informal economy.KasiNomics Unleashed is also the story of the corporate pioneers: the executives who thrive doing business in these informal spaces — the listed property companies, township butchery chains, grocery delivery founders, furniture suppliers, financial services entrepreneurs and township property developers. As you delve into the tales of these enterprising executives, you will discover insights and lessons that transcend the boundaries of conventional business wisdom.This is, on one hand, a book from G.G. Alcock about the business opportunities, pitfalls and key success factors for business in these rural and township spaces. But mostly it is a deeply human story of the inspiring, tenacious entrepreneurs of our informal economy who are otherwise invisible — they are the future … a KasiNomic power unleashed.

At school, James Urdang was a troublemaker who battled to get a passing grade. His most memorable achievement, aside from earning a coveted spot in the rowing First VIII, was driving his BMW down a narrow corridor at speed. But for all his learning challenges, the young James was driven by a dream. Conscious of his place of privilege in a divided society and stirred by the quest for social justice in the face of apartheid, he hoped to start a school to educate, uplift and empower the lives of others. At the dawn of South Africa’s democracy, with the mentorship and support of Walter Sisulu and Nelson Mandela, that dream took root in a non-profit organisation called Education Africa. But this is also a story of the fight to save Education Africa from a hostile takeover attempt, led by executives from a global bank that had once been a trusted benefactor. Told with wit and candour, this is a story about possibility, about what can happen when you believe in something bigger than yourself, and about the power of education to rewrite lives, one lesson and one classroom at a time.Endorsements‘Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.’ — Nelson Mandela‘…this memoir captures the essence of what it means to lead with heart, to serve with humility, and to believe – truly believe – that every child, no matter where they come from, deserves a fighting chance.’ — Razia Saleh, Nelson Mandela Foundation

When the luminous stranger arrives on the farm, twelve year old Stella is convinced that Jerry has come to heal her family. Now she tells the terrible trouble to a tabloid journalist in an effort to save the little that is left. The stage contains a metal wash tub, a traumatised child and a hard-hearted journalist. The script veers between love and violence, shining a naked bulb on psychosis and the preposterous ways in which people express their shame. Snake is a tabloid tale told in a young girls voice; sincere, anxious and human.

Lions are the stuff of legends. Revered and feared in equal measure, both majestic and terrifying, they once reigned supreme over an extensive domain. But this once-dominant beast’s original range has contracted by some 85%, and the world population is thought to have dropped to just over 20,000 individuals. The IUCN Red Data List now classifies lions as Vulnerable, and the West African subpopulation as Critically Endangered.Not only are lion numbers crashing, but the remaining populations cling to their existence on ever smaller, more fragmented pockets of land. Feared and despised by farmers trying to eke out a living on marginal land, lions are increasingly being exterminated or repurposed for commercial gain. Trophy hunters pay extortionate sums to bag specimens in their prime, and lion bones are being sold for the roaring Eastern trade in ‘tiger wine’.This landmark book aims to halt the downward spiral. It takes you on a journey across the continent and into the lives of rangers, scientists and communities, and the majestic creatures they work to conserve. Along with the bad news about today’s lions, it offers a message of hope, showing how innovative conservationists are rethinking our approach to human-lion coexistence.This book, with its searing, inspiring images and vivid accounts from the experts and foot-soldiers of conservation, brings the plight of lions to the attention of the world and is an urgent plea for the actions that need to be taken before it’s too late.

During embalming an arm jerks and strikes a mortician, leaving him unmoored. A pastor’s wife encounters a young congregant in her kitchen wearing her apron and preparing breakfast. A man’s attempt to make sense of why a tornado picked him up leads to a showdown with a cult leader. A daydreaming, gawky kid is appointed guardian of a watermelon that the ocean could snatch away. Love comes slowly, like water heating over a low fire or extra sugar being stirred into tea. In another story, the love of a father cannot save his musician son. A young woman living in a recognisable future contemplates the end of memory as her body transforms into the silver promise of a carapace. Another young woman feels she should be smiling but nothing stirs in her when her father wakes from death after 15 minutes. Battling portentous pre-dawn heat and still air, a bystander abandons removing caterpillars from a Ficus because the idea of touching them makes her squeamish. Elsewhere in the suburbs, in a fixer-upper from hell, crickets screech and squeal, their ringing like that of a demented alarm clock.When Water Wants To brings together the ten winners of the DALRO Can Themba Short Story Award. Celebrating the legacy of master storyteller Can Themba, this collection provokes, inspires, challenges and entertains with bold storytelling and keen social commentary. The stories range from the deeply personal to the wildly allegorical, playing with genre conventions and inhabiting a multitude of perspectives and unruly voices. These exciting new authors confirm the pre-eminence of the short story, and its oral antecedents, by delving into the national psyche through the conversations they have, the connections they make, and the themes, concerns and water-soaked imagery they share.The featured stories include 'No Good Deed' (KJ Aires); 'Murmur Becomes a Wave' (Megan Choritz); 'Mr Duiker Sang the Blues' (Dyondzo Kwinika); 'Letters of Remembrance' (Sebabatso Madibu); 'Zombie' (Lerato Mahlangu); 'A Mortician’s Instinct' (Kamva Majo); 'African Death, Western Medicine' (Lethukukhanya Mzulwini); 'The Woman Who Buried Rain' (Rabada Unarine Princess); 'The Watermelon Caretaker' (Rosieda Shabodien); and 'Man of the House' (Dashalia Singaram).

When the flames of life's challenges have swept through you, who do you become from the ashes?Nozipho Tshabalala is a high-performing, excellence-driven, successful black woman. Being in control of everything in her life was crucial to her survival and success. For the most part, it had always served her well – until it didn't.In this captivating and deeply personal memoir, conversation strategist Nozipho invites you into her world – one shaped by political violence, professional triumphs on global stages and the intimate battles with loss that would test her most fundamental beliefs. Now in her 40s, she has realised that what she needed most to survive may not be what she needs to thrive.With vulnerability and wisdom, Nozipho demonstrates how surrender becomes not an act of defeat but a pathway to freedom. Her story reminds us that sometimes our greatest strength lies not in holding tighter but in opening our hands to release what no longer serves us.After the Fires is a call to reclaim the narrative amid life's unexpected turns. It honours the complexity of womanhood while celebrating the possibility of becoming exactly who you were meant to be, even when that person looks nothing like what you imagined.

Love, Zola is the captivating continuation of Zola’s vibrant, heart-stirring story. From career pressures to unexpected confessions, Zola and Mbali’s journey tests their understanding of commitment and what a happy ending truly looks like.Okuhle’s return to Joburg brings unfinished business — not just with her relationship but also with Zola, whose successes only serve as painful reminders of what she’s lost. Meanwhile, Zozo’s happily-ever-after in Durban is shaken as old feelings resurface.Filled with tension, passion, and poignant revelations, Love, Zola is a story of self-discovery, second chances, and the challenges of modern relationships. Can love survive when the past refuses to let go?

She's a single mother with a surfing-crazy teenage son. She's known as the Jackal and heads the local Internal Crime Unit, keeping cops on the straight and narrow. Her name is Zara Dewane and she doesn't take shit from anybody. But now the bad cops are gunning for her.A family murder by a cop who turns the gun on himself. In the shed behind his cottage is a cache of Russian automatics, handguns, 9mils, .38s. You don’t need forensics to work out what’s gone wrong. This is a cop with a side racket, which gets the attention of Captain Zara Dewane of the Internal Crime Unit. What she uncovers about the family murder puts her in the firing line. There are cops running guns stolen from the police armory and cops selling guns to gangsters. Thing is, the money chain goes deep into the police hierarchy. It even fingers the political bosses. “Close her down,” comes the order from on high — kill her, in other words, making Zara and her family targets, with only one way out.

“Knock-knock, anybody home?”For 20 years, Karina Marais and her partner have lived apart together in a shared residence—his bachelor pad upstairs, her retreat downstairs—connected by a staircase that links their spaces while preserving their independence. No unannounced visits, no dull routines, just passion, freedom, and a love story shaped on their terms.In Upstairs Downstairs, Marais shows how they successfully manage a Living Apart Together (LAT) relationship where love, ambition, and independence coexist. But her memoir isn’t just about love; it’s also about passion and daring to dream. Some of her dreams took flight, others fell short, but she didn’t want to leave this world without chasing them. That drive makes her jump out of bed every morning, a trait many aspiring entrepreneurs share.What if a memoir went beyond words — told not just through writing, but through lyric readings, music (32 original songs), and videos? Author and creator Karina Marais is doing exactly that. Upstairs Downstairs is a multi-sensory experience that redefines what a memoir can be. Through multisensory storytelling with words, lyric readings, music, and videos, she brings to life the emotions behind love, loss, and the pursuit of dreams. Here, stories are served, and dreams begin again.

In this deeply personal memoir, released alongside her documentary, Rachel Kolisi takes readers behind the public image and into the private moments that shaped her. With courage and clarity, she traces her journey through childhood, motherhood, love, marriage, her faith in God tested and rebuilt, loss and reinvention, and the complex reality of living a life under constant scrutiny.This is not a story of perfection or arrival, but of becoming. Of breaking, rebuilding and choosing to rise anyway. Through hard-learned lessons and unflinching honesty, Rachel reflects on what it means to let go of who you were expected to be and step fully into who you are. Alongside her personal journey, she shares how purpose and service became anchors in her healing process. Her commitment to uplifting others is not separate from her story, but a natural continuation of it.Falling Forward is a story of reclaiming identity, voice and power. Raw yet hopeful, grounded yet powerful, Falling Forward is for any woman who has had her world turned upside down, and found the strength to begin again.

To Health With It! is not an autobiography, but a compelling call to live well across all physical, mental, emotional, financial, social, and spiritual domains.Written by acclaimed broadcaster and entrepreneur Tebogo Thekisho, widely known as ProVerb, the book draws from his personal efforts to sustain a healthier lifestyle by overcoming trauma, achieving financial freedom, and evolving from entertainer to academic and boardroom leader.ProVerb offers deeply relatable insights and anecdotes and complements his story with credible references from global experts, making this book both inspirational and informative.It equips readers to reset, realign, and redefine their own path to true health in every sense of the word.

As a young man in a close-knit Muslim community in Woodstock, Muhammad used to feel trapped between who he was and who he was expected to be. But then he met Riyaaz, and his world shifted in unexpected ways.Many years later, on the day of his wedding, Muhammad is pulled into memories of his adolescence — a time when faith and forbidden desires collided.Haram is an unflinching tale alive with hidden and unspoken desires.

When your favorite player turns out to be your very real boss, the rules are a lot more complicated.Elizabeth Gordon-Bettencourt is rebuilding her life on her own terms, starting with a new internship, a shot at her dream job as a civil engineer, and a whole lot of distance from her family’s drama. With her life full of change, the one constant is @theanswerisno, a charming gamer who seems to just... get her. Even if he has no interest in meeting her in real life.Elizabeth would feel a lot more confident about her job if her new boss wasn’t so hard to read. Lincoln Carden is quiet, demanding, and adamant about avoiding small talk—especially in the office. What she doesn’t know is that online, he’s someone else entirely: quick, confident, and a little bit flirty. And his favorite player to team up with is @pancakesareelite, the one person who never makes him feel like he has to try so hard. As their two worlds start to collide, Elizabeth and Lincoln start to wonder: with their careers on the line and their online friendship at risk, is a romance IRL worth it?When two people find out their online crushes are actually their IRL enemies, they must figure out a way to work with each other in this charming and geeky enemies-to-lovers romcom. Perfect for fans of Olivia Dade.

For the past decade, Arthur Goldstuck has had a front-row seat to witness the remarkable rise of AI across all sectors of business and society. As generative AI becomes a household phrase and sparks hopes and fears of machines augmenting or replacing human beings, this guide offers an invaluable overview of the past, present and future of AI.The Hitchhiker’s Guide to AI is aimed at both beginners and those who consider themselves experienced or skilled at using AI. It draws on many years of direct access to global and regional leaders in using AI, from Africa to the Middle East to North America to Europe and Asia, and it provides unique perspectives on generative AI, as well as practical advice for using it.It is useful for consumers, academics, professionals and anyone in business who wants to get up to speed quickly and practically. It also entertains and inspires anyone who is curious about AI or already engaged in its possibilities.Need to understand or refine prompting? You’re in the right place. Need to prepare for the coming impact of AI on health, travel, education and business? This is the book for you.

Dr Sara Buhle, a troubled obstetrician, is thrust into a frantic search for a missing newborn in Durban. Sara is pulled into the search by rising SAPS star Vuyi Vilakazi. With time working against them, and rumours of muthi murders hounding the investigation, the pair find themselves in a race from the city centre to an informal settlement in the Hammarsdale Hills. Mere minutes will make the difference between success and failure.

Captain Jonathan Morris, the Confessor Cop, used empathy to extract confessions from even the toughest criminals. With a 99% success rate, his cases, from catching serial killer Jimmy Maketta to investigating the Sizzler’s Massacre, earned him the respect of prosecutors and profilers. In this memoir, Michael Behr explores Morris’s high-profile investigations and personal struggles, revealing the man behind the badge in a gripping blend of true crime and personal story.

Alibis, with its many twists and turns, will have readers turning pages to discover what finally happens to Jen and the rest of the sometimes sexy and always dysfunctional cast from Stellenbosch, with its penchant for impropriety and unapologetic wealth.Like the most addictive of TV series.

In the 1970s, South Africa’s wine industry was a closed shop – dominated by monopolies, Afrikaner nationalism and Apartheid-era control. Red Tape tells the remarkable story of Tim Hamilton Russell, a maverick entrepreneur and founder of Hamilton Russell Vineyards, who was determined to challenge this status quo. Defying restrictive laws, industry boycotts, and scepticism from the establishment, Tim pursued his vision to plant noble grape varietals in the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley – a region few believed in – proving the country could produce world-class table wines.This richly detailed account, written by his daughter Bridgid Hamilton-Russell, uncovers the political obstacles he faced, the court battles he waged, and the legacy he built in establishing a wine region now recognised worldwide. Blending biography, social history, and an insider’s view of a transformative era, Red Tape reveals how courage and vision can reshape an industry.Key features: The first book to chronicle the birth of the Hemel-en-Aarde wine region and its impact on South African wine culture. A rare, behind-the-scenes look at Apartheid-era bureaucracy and its effect on the wine industry. Written by the subject’s daughter, offering personal insight and authenticity. Appeals to wine enthusiasts, historians, and readers interested in stories of innovation and defiance. Includes archival material, personal correspondence, and contributions from key figures in South African wine.

A must-read from one of the leading thinkers of the next generation. Tara Roos cuts through the political noise with this analysis of South African politics that argues that we have entered the age of uncertainty as populism is on the rise. She delves into the structural weaknesses, strategic miscalculations and political-party identity crises that have ushered South Africa into a new and unstable coalition era. Parties are categorised into three groups: Winners, Losers and Survivors as Roos lays out what they are getting right, where they are failing and why some have found growth while others have collapsed. In a democracy still grappling with the promises of 1994, Where to From Here? is an account of how politicians have failed the people and how the electorate, in turn, must now demand better.

Tannie Maria, everyone’s favourite amateur detective and agony aunt, has finally focussed on her true love – food – and written a cookbook. Recipes to Die Live For features recipes from the first four Tannie Maria murder mystery novels by Sally Andrew, as well as some tantalising new additions.Spiced with poignant quotes from the four novels, as well as letters written to ‘Tannie Maria’s Love Advice and Recipe Column’, and seasoned with photographs of the food and the beautiful Karoo, Recipes to Die Live For is as warm and witty as Tannie Maria herself, guaranteed to delight fans and newcomers to the series.Many of the dishes are slow foods and traditional South African recipes, but there are also quick meals and new inventions, from weerligkoek to spekboom ice cream. Whether you are craving a Karoo lamb pie or a vetkoek with mince, or are lus for a melktert or koeksister, you will find it among Tannie Maria’s gastronomic delights.

It wasn’t long ago when someone in Silicon Valley coined the term ‘The Three Comma Club’ to describe that small group of individuals whose net worth is one billion dollars or more. According to Forbes’ World’s Billionaires List for 2025, there are around 3 000 ‘dollarbillionaires’ in the world. The wealth, power, and influence wielded by these moneymakers and money spenders is gargantuan. For instance, the top 10 richest individuals have a combined net worth exceeding $2 trillion. Billionaires make up approximately 0.000034% of the world’spopulation. That’s about one in every 3 million people. What does it take to become a billionaire, and what does it mean to live in a world increasingly dominated by them? This book takes a deep dive into the world of billionaires, blending humor, insight, and a touch of ‘eat the rich’ irreverence to examine the rise and occasional downfall of the mega-mega-rich. From historic figures like Croesus and Rockefeller to modern tech moguls and oligarchs, the authors explore how billionaires emerge, how they maintain their fortunes, and what happens when they fall from grace.

In the next twenty-five years, Africa’s population is predicted to double in size to 2.5 billion, so that by 2050 one in four people on earth will be African. How can Africa accommodate and benefit from this huge demographic shift?In The Invisible People, former MTN CEO Phuthuma Nhleko calls for a new African renaissance based on three pillars. The first involves building a confident common identity, rooted in Africa’s long and rich history, and celebrating its fundamental contributions to modern civilisation, religion and culture.The second is unleashing the kind of economic development that has so far eluded Africa, by leveraging its significant assets and resources, abandoning outdated and inadequate economic models, and carving a new path grounded in a Pan-African vision and based on technological and economic leapfrogging.The third pillar involves bolstering Africa’s geopolitical influence, by redefining its relationship with the US and China, and embracing a strategic path in its own interests, to take its rightful place in world affairs as home to a quarter of humanity.An insightful and inspiring journey through history, economics and geopolitics, The Invisible People will change the way that people view the future of Africa and the world.

Vividly set against the backdrop of 19th century India and the British-owned sugarcane plantations of Natal, written with great tenderness and lyricism, Children of Sugarcane paints an intimate and wrenching picture of indenture told from a woman’s perspective.Shanti, a bright teenager stifled by life in rural India and facing an arranged marriage, dreams that South Africa is an opportunity to start afresh. The Colony of Natal is where Shanti believes she can escape the poverty, caste, and troubling fate of young girls in her village. Months later, after a harrowing sea voyage, she arrives in Natal only to discover the profound hardship and slave labour that await her.Spanning four decades and two continents, Children of Sugarcane demonstrates the lifegiving power of love, heartache, and the indestructible bonds between family and friends. These bonds prompt heroism and sacrifice, the final act of which leads to Shanti's redemption.Endorsements“Joanne Joseph has skilfully crafted fact into fiction. May Shanti’s story inspire others to tell herstory.” — Pregs Govender, activist and author of Love and Courage: A Story Insubordination“Shanti is a heroine that the reader will not easily forget. The story that is told here is worth not only knowing but also remembering.” — Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu, author, filmmaker and academic

Behind the façade of South Africa lies a brutal shadow-world ruled by mafias, cartels, and crime syndicates locked in a ruthless war over South Africa’s riches. There’s the tobacco mafia. The water tanker mafia. The taxi mafia. The hospital mafia. The construction mafia. The kidnapping mafia. Each one feeds off a vast web of patronage and extraction that stretches from street level to the highest echelons of government. Their bloodsucking tentacles reach deep into municipalities, state-owned enterprises, political parties, the police, and even the National Prosecuting Authority. Those who resist them are silenced in cold blood. This is not a criminal underworld lurking in the shadows. It is part of the system itself. Where does organised crime end and the state begin? Are the two so intertwined that it has become near impossible to distinguish the one from the other? Has South Africa become a mafia state? Multi-award-winning investigative journalist Kyle Cowan sets out to answer these and other questions, revealing the dark underbelly of a country where the thin blue line has all but disappeared.

'. . . there is a quiet here that doesn't exist on land, a fluid suspension that reminds me that humans were never meant to be so rigid, so fixed in place. In the sea, we are both vulnerable and free . . .'Deep Blue is a love letter to the sea, exploring humans' deep connection with the ocean and the bliss of swimming, diving, dipping and simply being in salt water.Join Veruska De Vita, a learner free diver and open-water swimmer, as she delves into why the ocean calls to us. Along the way she talks to those who find healing and wellness in swimming groups and cold-water immersion, scientists who study complex marine environments, elite athletes who swim super-human distances along our coasts and free divers who plumb the depths with one breath.Water is primordial. It gives life. It represents hope and renewal. This book is not only for sea worshippers. It promises to inspire everyone to jump with joy into the waves – and offers reflections on our intimate relationship with the sea, which supports life on earth and requests that we respect it.

On 23 August 2021, a quiet, hardworking single mom was shot down as she drove home. Her name was Babita Deokaran, chief accountant at the Gauteng Department of Health. The izinkabi paid to kill her were caught, but the question is: who ordered her murder, and why? Crime reporter Jeff Wicks set out to find the answer — a pursuit that would profoundly change, even endanger, his life. This is an explosive investigation into state capture and a moving tribute to the cost of integrity.

A much-anticipated and requested follow-up from the author of The Girl Who Survived Her Mother, this comprehensive guide addresses healing from the Mother Wound—psychological trauma resulting from maternal neglect, abuse, or emotional unavailability.

In the Eastern Cape, the gale force winds have nothing on the chanting gees of the boys at the prestigious local school. Isaac ‘Izzy’ Kingston, a recent matriculant and newly minted varsity dropout, has several bashers’ worth of hilarious and harrowing school memories to share with a sympathetic audience. Isaac’s nostalgic first-person confessional, peppered with tongue-in-cheek observations, takes readers from the testosterone-fuelled excitement and high drama of the rugby field on Reunion Weekend to near-death encounters on overnight excursions in Cradock.

Writer Daniel Hawthorne is packing up his mother’s house in Johannesburg when he hears about the disappearance of Sam Webster, the beautiful daughter of his friend, the famous historian Bruce Webster.When the body of Sam appears briefly on the banks of the flooded Buffalo River, Daniel decides to visit the Websters’ luxury lodge in the heart of Zululand. Under the guise of researching a new novel about his disgraced ancestor, the lepidopterist Lieutenant Charles Hawthorne, who fought in the Battle of iSandlwana, Daniel starts to investigate the reasons for Sam’s disappearance. The lines between loyalty and betrayal, love and hate, cowardice and courage, redemption and shame, soon become blurred as Daniel gets closer to the truth.Written in Craig Higginson’s masterful prose, The Ghost of Sam Webster is at once a war novel, a murder mystery, a multi-layered love story and a robust reassertion of what it is to remain human during the most challenging times.

Look around you – is anything real or normal any more? News, images and videos created by AI are everywhere. The world we live in is changing daily, and it’s no exaggeration to say that everything you thought you knew is undergoing apocalyptic levels of change. Our new normal includes AI CEOs, AI partners, AI versions of our dead relatives to keep us company, and customers deploying their own adversarial agent ‘armies’ to negotiate on their behalf. Meanwhile, the expensive skills you have accumulated, the jobs you’ve fought for, the relationships you’ve invested in, the organisations you’ve worked for, and the economies we depend on for survival are shrinking even as our choices expand. Discernment and understanding of context are now critical to your survival. So let’s stare the future down and, instead of fearing AI, become solutionists. In order to survive in this hyper-competitive, globalised and automated world, where the strongest and smartest winners are set to take all, we need to change our mindsets and our skill sets to become fit for the post-AI apocalyptic world that is here to stay. This means embracing progress and turning AI and technology into an asset with which we can co-exist, while continuing to create new possibilities far into the future. This book is a call to action to live on the flipside of fear.

You see a lot here, Agni. But you are a peculiar boy, and this is a strange place. When those two come together, things happen.In the rural Marico district of the Northwest Province, an orphaned boy, Agni, arrives at a lonely farmhouse in a valley. There he meets Esmeralda, the old woman who never leaves the shadows of her room, and the mysterious Kagiso, who has always lived on the property. He does not know why he was brought to this place, but as he spends his days in lessons with Esmeralda and discovers the secrets of the land from Kagiso, he begins to experience occurrences that haunt his waking hours and dreams.Meanwhile, in a nearby town, Nikus has just finished high school. He longs to leave the Marico for the distant city and saves money by working as a handyman at the eerie old farmhouse. His only friends are the local drunk and the owner of The Outpost Deli, but Nikus also begins to spend time with the girlfriend of his best friend, who had already left for the big world. She gives Nikus hope in a different future, and together they plan to escape.The lives of Agni and Nikus are bound together by the Marico. They are both caught between the worlds of imagination and reality, rumour and truth. While Nikus is forced to decide between his present and unknown possibilities, Agni clings to Kagiso as they witness Esmeralda’s slow descent into madness.Nothing disappears.The Weight of Shade is a haunting, gothic tale that explores the bearing of the past on our lives and whether we can ever escape the circumstances thrust upon us.