Connect: Writing For Online Audiences is a timeous guide for South Africans working in the digital space. It encapsulates the current digital landscape in South Africa, with its constraints and opportunities for reaching audiences via social media platforms, websites, blogs, apps and email. And it is designed to help students as well as industry decision-makers connect with audiences, whether as social media managers, search engine writers, digital analysts, copywriters, content marketing strategists or digital public relations executives.

Primarily, these are all online storytellers and this book aims to assist them in achieving their goals.

The book draws on reputable brands for best-practice examples. It uses South African examples of online campaigns alongside international names to provide a relevant yet globally situated experience for the South African reader. The contributing authors are all well-respected experts in their fields who share their invaluable experience in this book. Connect: Writing for Online Audiences is a must-have on the bookshelf (digital or physical) of every individual reaching out to an online readership.

As a child, Thabo Abram Molefe, along with his family, is impelled into the apartheid era tradition of rural to urban transition. Moving from a farm to a multi ethnic and vibrant township in the heart of Heidelberg, the birthplace of Eugene Terre’ Blanche’s AWB, proves to be both a challenge and an adventure as he works to evade the nickname that has followed him as a result: "maplazini", Sotho for a dumb country bumpkin.

Native Boy explores a young man’s complex relationship with identity and race, seen through the lens of township life. Moreover, it is about his journey to escape the socio economic trap of the apartheid regime to forever limit the black man to a life of hardship.

Brace yourself for a thrilling journey into the heart of black life and culture through the philosophy of Hibirism, masterminded by Donald Mokgale and Ernest Nkomotje.

Hibirism ● (noun): Derived from the social greeting ‘hibiri’, made famous by the South African song Sister Bethina (a hit by musician Mgarimbe in 2006), Hibirism adds depth and meaning to the salutation and signifier ‘hibiri’. The goal is to explain some of the underlying reasons behind our actions and uncover profound insights within the experiences of black life. Ultimately, Hibirism transforms an empty signifier into a noun, referring to a specific philosophy or set of ideas that elevate social situations and challenge existing norms.

This book contains humorous anecdotes, thought-provoking ideas, witty banter, and profound observations on black life, showcasing Hibirism at play. The book also shows how Hibirism can be used as a tool for creative problem-solving as it probes deeper into conventions to unearth insights like no other framework.

Among many captivating topics, they embark on a quest to discover the perfect vetkoek (igwinya), draw parallels between the arrangement of atoms and four-four masihlalisane (a seating arrangement in local taxis), offer a deep dive into the Amapiano movement, and even share the tale of Bobby, a beloved township dog known to survive on nothing but a diet of pap and H2O.

If you are an individual or a business aiming to deepen your understanding and build a more meaningful connection with the black world, Introducing Hibirism is for you.

Join the movement. Hibiri …

A searing and brave memoir chronicling the author’s resilience, compassion and growth as she moves from a childhood of trauma, through the challenges of dealing with the early loss of her beloved husband and becoming a single parent as well as subsequently accompanying her child on a difficult journey of self-discovery, to a life of acceptance and forgiveness.

Thobeka Yose confronts the taboos surrounding mental health, abuse, betrayal and sexual identity with fearless honesty, kindness and understanding that will inspire countless others.

Uiteindelik! ’n Allesomvattende boek wat al jou vrae oor die Banting-leefstyl beantwoord en 'n oplossing bied vir permanente gewigsverlies.

Die Banting-Oplossing verduidelik nie net wat Banting behels nie, dit:

• verskaf antwoorde op Banters se dringendste vrae;
• skiet die mites wat rondom Banting ontstaan het, aan flarde;
• bevat handige maaltydplanne en Banting-vriendelike voedsellysies;
• verskaf wenke oor wat om te doen wanneer gewigsverlies tot stilstand kom;
• help jou om voedseletikette te verstaan; en
• wys jou hoe om te Bant sonder om die bank te breek, en dat almal dié leefstyl kan volg.

Maar die heel belangrikste – die boek leer ons hoe om ontslae te raak van daardie ekstra kilogramme en hoe om hulle vir ewig weg te hou! Resultate van in-diepte navorsing word ondersteun deur gevallestudies en voor-en-na foto’s. Lesers het nou toegang tot alle inligting oor Banting in een boek.

This isn’t a how-to-build-your-business book, but rather one that offers insights into the thinking and experiences of people who have built businesses, have seen them fail, and have seen them shoot the lights out.

Gil Oved, Lebo Gunguluza, Polo Leteka, Vinny Lingham and Vusi Thembekwayo were once in the same position in which all entrepreneurs find themselves before they take that deep breath and dive in. They know how it feels – the excitement, the passion, the sense of making a difference through offering something original, complex or simple. They know the disappointments when things don’t go according to plan, when funding is not forthcoming, and when a business fails dismally despite every best effort. They have walked the road and fallen into the potholes. They took the knocks and learnt from the lessons.

Key is that they learnt from their mistakes and were undeterred. They tried again. And again. And, sometimes, yet again. They persevered until they did it. And they’re still doing it.

Life is like that sometimes draws readers into the unforgettable personal experiences that have shaped Khaya Dlanga’s world. Weaving heartfelt and often hilarious tales, from his rural Eastern Cape childhood to the profound losses he has faced as an adult, Khaya reflects on life’s unpredictability with warmth and wit.

The vivid stories explore love, loss, loyalty, forgiveness, tradition, chance, mischief, justice, responsibility and resilience, offering insights on relationships, identity and the lessons found in life’s toughest moments.

Both deeply moving and laugh-out-loud funny, Life is like that sometimes is an exploration of personal growth, faith and the power of storytelling to find meaning in it all.

Has South Africa ‘done well’ at limiting illness and deaths during the Covid-19 pandemic? Academic and political commentator, Steven Friedman, thinks not. While the country’s mainstream media believes it has, in his view the evidence tells another story. South Africa has experienced by far the most cases and deaths in Africa – at one point as many as the rest of the continent combined.

One Virus, Two Countries offers a searing analysis of government and expert scientists’ responses to the pandemic. Friedman argues that South Africa is two societies in one – a ‘First World’ which resembles Western Europe and North America, and a ‘Third World’ which looks much like the rest of Africa or South Asia. The South African state, the media and the scientific community have largely tried to deal with the virus through a ‘First World’ lens in which much of the country was either invisible or a problem – not a partner. Friedman argues this approach prevented the country from responding in a way which would have protected most citizens. This is why case numbers and deaths are so high: South Africa has done worse than the rest of Africa not despite the fact that it has a ‘more developed’ health system, but because it does.

One Virus, Two Countries is a controversial book that will rouse much needed debate about South Africa’s health and economic system in a context of serious inequality.

Seks, skoonma’s en skuld is ‘n blik op eietydse verhoudings se grootste uitdagings en oplossings deur iemand wat die seerder kant van die lewe en die liefde ken.

Elize Parker kyk met wysheid en insig na die tipiese uitdagings wat in briewe aan haar troostantekolom sowel as in navorsing en onderhoude vir verhoudingsartikels na vore gekom het. Seks, skoonma’s en skuld is van die grootste brandpunte en sy spreek die fynere detail hiervan aan.

Lees oor:

• Verhoudings met ekse en hoe om na die opbreek van verhoudings te herstel
• Die invloed van tegnologie op verhoudings soos Facebookaffairs
• Hoe om familiekrisisse af te weer en skoonfamilies te hanteer
• Hoe om ouers en kinders se soms stormagtige verhoudings te navigeer
• Hoe om veilig uit die greep van verslawings te kom
• Hoe om te maak as dinge in die slaapkamer verkeerd loop

Emma Bekker se debuutpundel Skryn (poësie) is goed ontvang en die eerste druk het uitverkoop. Hierdie bundel kortverhale getuig van dieselfde fyn waarneming, musikaliteit, verbeeldingrykeid en sensualiteit. Dit gaan hier oor struktuur, oor lae van betekenis en gevoel, oor die skelette van stories wat met vel oorgetrek word. Die verhale is soms donker, soms humoristies, altyd vreesloos en eroties gelaai. Die onderwerpe strek van ’n porn-ster se hartseer oor sy ma se dood tot ’n uitbundige relaas van ’n skoolkonsert.

An update of the award winning Low Carb Solution For Diabetes.

With over 40,000 copies sold worldwide, this book is an invaluable resource for anyone with Type 1 or Type 2 Diabetes, helping reduce or avoid the need for diabetes medication. Children and Adults diagnosed with insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome will also greatly benefit from the recipes to help reverse the disease progression into full blown diabetes. Contains the most effective systems and day-to day strategies for practically dealing with diabetes.

Using this book will help you:

• reduce or avoid the need for diabetes medication
• get better control of glucose
• get more freedom to live a normal life
• improve concentration & performance
• increase long term health
• reduce the risk of heart disease, strokes & high blood pressure
• help manage extreme activity

Hoe leer jy skryf?

Loer oor die skouers van ambagsmense. Dis die maklikste en lekkerste manier.

Hier’s ’n boek in Afrikaans om jou daarmee te help.

The Covid-19 pandemic changed the way we think about work – we’ve had the great resignation, the quiet quitters and those determined to always work from home. But not everyone can afford to quit, what happens to those overwhelmed by a work environment that leaves them feeling defeated or maybe just resigned to putting up with it?

Judy Klipin draws on years of coaching people through problems in their work environment to offer practical ways to make sure that your work works for you, asking questions like:

• Is the physical work environment sapping your energy?
• Are the toxic office politics driving you mad?
• Is relentless stress pushing you to the point of burnout?
• Do you have burnout as a result of ongoing stress and distress?
• Are your values reflected in the work you do?

By looking at what is and isn’t working for you at work, you can draw up a list of what needs to change. Using the Wheel of Work tool, Judy helps you identify the choices you have in how to respond to the situations you find yourself in at work. Case studies show you how other people have successfully developed the skills to improve their working experience.

Can people who live in shantytowns, shacks and favelas teach us anything about democracy? About how to govern society in a way that is inclusive, participatory and addresses popular needs? This book argues that they can.

In a study conducted in dozens of South Africa’s shack settlements, where more than 9 million people live, Trevor Ngwane finds thriving shack dwellers’ committees that govern local life, are responsive to popular needs and provide a voice for the community. These committees, called ‘amakomiti’ in the Zulu language, organise the provision of basic services such as water, sanitation, public works and crime prevention especially during settlement establishment.

Amakomiti argues that, contrary to common perception, slum dwellers are in fact an essential part of the urban population, whose political agency must be recognised and respected. In a world searching for democratic alternatives that serve the many and not the few, it is to the shantytowns, rather than the seats of political power, that we should turn.

In Pillage, Krog develops her familiar themes of family, body and land but this time in the harsh light of pillaging, whether being done by nature, humans, or old age.

The poems reveal a painful fragility and yet also finding comfort, a nourishment in remarkable moments of beauty: the delight of an egret in a vlei, watching over a young child who is discovering the world around him, and remembering the raptures of love.

Pillage is translated by poet and translator, Karen Press.

When Gail Gilbride is diagnosed with breast cancer, she experiences the full range of emotions. There’s disbelief, anger, confusion, fear, bargaining and, why, yes, indeed, of course she wants to talk to the manager! But then Gail settles on resolve. She’s ready to fight. Not only will she follow her doctor’s instructions and march with the big guns in the oncology centre, but she’ll also tip her helmet to her late mother’s inclination for alternative treatments.

Gail is ready to give her body everything it might need to conquer the disease, recover and live a long life of joy. She nourishes it, meditates, exercises, rests, and explores parts of her consciousness she’s previously pushed to the far corner and ignored. Determined not to be a passenger, Gail hops behind the wheel and embarks on a journey like no other. What she doesn’t anticipate is that she’ll have a furry, ginger wingman for company.

Archie is the irredeemably part-feral tomcat who, when it suits him, moves in the same circles as Gail – and it suits him when he decides she needs the kind of therapy only he can give. In many ways, Gail and Archie are opposites. Where she’s amiable, he can be bellicose. Where Gail is gentle, Archie has claws. Where she is considerate, he is self-serving. And yet Archie brings to Gail camaraderie and healing in the dark hours when, alone, she cannot keep the dread at bay. He’s the remedy she didn’t know she needed.

As a director of Meat-free Mondays in Australia and South Africa, it’s Tammy Fry’s mission to enable others to live a happier and more energetic lifestyle through plant-based eating.

Through her blog (seed-blog.com) and lifestyle workshops she has become a key influencer and thought leader in the plant-based, health and wellness world of holistic nutrition. Made With Love & Plants will not only present more than 75 wholefood, plant-based recipes, all beautifully photographed and styled, but also provide detailed yet easy-to-follow guidance on living the plant-based lifestyle. Tammy particularly understands how challenging the change to such a diet can be, and is there with helpful support and tips to make the journey easier.

The recipes will encompass a full range of meals from breakfast through to treats, and for family and entertaining.

An artist’s canvas reflects the face he chooses to show to the world, but the place in which that art is made is seldom revealed.

Paul Duncan was given unparalleled access into the homes and lives of fifteen of South Africa’s most revered artists. Over countless mugs of coffee or glasses of wine, he listened and observed as they spoke about their lives, loves and the way they make their art. South African Artists At Home takes the reader into some very private spaces, affording us a glimpse of what the artist goes home to at the end of the day.

For some, the work space and home space are irrevocably intertwined. For others, home is a sanctuary. Or perhaps it is the studio that is the sanctuary and home is where ‘real life’ happens.

Either way, if you have an interest in art, artists, and the often bizarre way that making art intersects with living life, you’ll find this book intriguing.

Building on the success of her two previous books, and in support of her TV series, Sarah Graham's Food Safari, Home: Food From My Kitchen encapsulates cooking throughout southern Africa.

Within the standard cookbook format of Brunch, Salads, Soups, Snacks, Meat, Poultry, Pasta, Seafood, Desserts and Baking, Sarah Graham presents food that is simple but beautiful, delicious and healthy. Most of the dishes can be prepared as easily outdoors as in your kitchen, and the recipes will work for family meals as well as casual dining with friends.

The blog-themed writing style engages readers, while stories and personal anecdotes offer some insight into the inspiration behind the recipes. Traditional South African favourites are given a modern makeover and readers are introduced to some less-familiar dishes from Zimbabwe, Zambia and Mozambique.

Sarah loves to use her friends and family around the world as testers and tasters, so hesitant cooks can be assured that all her recipes really do work!

Capitalism’s addiction to fossil fuels is heating our planet at a pace and scale never before experienced.

Extreme weather patterns, rising sea levels and accelerating feedback loops are a commonplace feature of our lives. The number of environmental refugees is increasing and several island states and low-lying countries are becoming vulnerable. Corporate-induced climate change has set us on an ecocidal path of species extinction. Governments and their international platforms such as the Paris Climate Agreement deliver too little, too late. Most states, including South Africa, continue on their carbon-intensive energy paths, with devastating results. Political leaders across the world are failing to provide systemic solutions to the climate crisis. This is the context in which we must ask ourselves: how can people and class agency change this destructive course of history?

The Climate Crisis investigates ecosocialist alternatives that are emerging. It presents the thinking of leading climate justice activists, campaigners and social movements advancing systemic alternatives and developing bottom-up, just transitions to sustain life. Through a combination of theoretical and empirical work, the authors collectively examine the challenges and opportunities inherent in the current moment.

Most importantly, it explores ways to renew historical socialism with democratic, ecosocialist alternatives to meet current challenges in South Africa and the world.

Based on interviews in schools, workplaces and homes, this book tells the story of an epidemic of unkindness, uncovering the stories of bullies all around us. The online environment has given bullies a much wider range of tools to use to abuse their targets. Marion Scher tracks the links between bullying and mental health issues.

As Marion says: ‘I had to brace myself to hear the often heartbreaking and vicious stories from those who encountered torturous relationships. The big question I kept asking myself was, “How could you get involved with such a person?” But just who is that kind of person, and is it even possible to spot them?’

She calls on the advice of a range of experts to help make sense of the bullies and their victims, with a range of advice to help manage the bully boss, the bully in school and the bully in a relationship. The book has stories, statistics, advice and lots of help to understand how bullies work.

It is time for victims to call bullies to account and for schools, workplaces and society as a whole to put a stop to the tormentors.

Poetic Inquiry for the Social and Human Sciences: Voices from the South and North enriches human and social science research by introducing new voices, insights, and epistemologies.

Poetic inquiry, or poetry as research, is a literary and performance arts-based approach. It combines the arts and humanities with scientific inquiry to enhance social research. By challenging conventional epistemological traditions that assert a detached stance of the known from the knower, poetic inquiry proposes a method of decolonising knowledge production. This book expands on ground-breaking work done in the Global North on transdisciplinary poetic inquiry scholarship by bringing it into conversation with knowledge from the Global South. It allows for South-North leadership and places unique scholarly contributions from the South at the centre of transnational discussions.

In exploring and advancing poetic inquiry in the Global South, part of the book’s decolonising agenda is to challenge and expand the definition of poetic inquiry and recognise the contributions from diverse traditions and social practices. The peer-reviewed chapters are written by new and established scholars in various knowledge fields worldwide. The chapters’ scholarly contributions are complemented by an original poetry sequence interwoven through the book. Critically, Voices and Silences shows how poetry can engender innovative research that addresses pressing social justice issues, such as inclusion and decolonisation.

Poetic Inquiry will interest researchers and academics who seek to advance social research by adopting new epistemologies and approaches that integrate the value of the Global South’s contributions and foster expanded South-North collaborations.

When last did you get lost? We rarely do in the era of Google Maps and Waze, but satellite navigation systems are of no use when disruption turns our lives upside down. When swirling mists of uncertainty block our view of the future, we might question our ability to cope. But with awareness, determination and practise we can improve our competence, build our resilience and confidence, and gain a sense of control, even when everything feels out of control.

Whether your life has been disrupted by death, divorce, disease, Covid-19 lockdown, working from home, moving town, starting a new job, or any of a host of other disruptive events that can either make or break you, this book will guide you to the best possible outcome. Disruption is never comfortable, but regardless of whether it is positive or negative, it is a catalyst for change.

Future-Proof Yourself provides simple but effective lessons and frameworks to help you future-proof yourself to win at both work and life. Dip into chapters on disruption, remote working, resilience, teamwork, leadership and family, and learn how to remain focused, utilise pressure and create a recipe for personal success. A distillation of Nikki Bush’s professional insights as a human-potential and parenting expert, combined with her personal honesty and vulnerability, this book is a must-read for anyone looking to harness their courage and curiosity to build a rewarding, fulfilling future for themselves – no matter what life throws at them.

Here’s the Thing is a new collection of thought-provoking essays from Haji Mohamed Dawjee.

Filled with stories and insights that are contemplative, comedic and controversial, you will find a touching letter to her father, the honest truth about the pain in the arse that is parenting and ponderings about struggling with the vicissitudes of the modern world filled with cancel culture and the controversies of appreciating the wrong artists. There is also a serving of the many wise lessons the game of tennis has to offer as well as hilarious insights and observations on dustbins, yes dustbins, and ageing, that ring true.

Here’s the Thing is relatable, relevant, entertaining, soothingly self-deprecating and, at times, morally challenging.

Ja, die ketodieet is al lankal bekend; jy het daarvan gehoor maar verstaan die konsep nie heeltemal nie en dink dis te duur. Of miskien het jy dit getoets maar is oorweldig deur ’n oorvloed dikwels teenstrydige inligting en het jy moed opgegee. Miskien volg jy dit noukeurig maar het jy nuwe inspirasie nodig. Daar kom in elk geval altyd nuwe inligting na vore. Ná die wegholsukses van sy eerste boek twee jaar gelede, Living the Ultimate Keto Lifestyle, het Hendrik Marais besluit dis tyd om die ketogeniese leefstyl aan selfs meer mense bekend te stel, terwyl hy aanhangers terselfdertyd ’n vereenvoudigde uiteensetting van die jongste neigings en ’n volledige stel maklike en smaaklike resepte wou bied.

Keto Lifestyle: Maklik is presies dit: ’n Gids vir die implementering van ’n ketogeniese dieet en periodieke vas – met maaltydplanne wat eenvoudig is om te volg – wat sinvol asook begroting- en beurtkragvriendelik is, en met al die truuks om tyd te bespaar. Jy sal mal wees oor die geurige resepte en selfs maniere vind om jou vriende te onthaal met spyskaarte wat by hierdie leefstyl inpas. Maar daar’s soveel meer: inligting oor voedingswaarde, en raad oor oefening en maniere om jou motivering te handhaaf.