Durban North, 1997. Following two shocking and insidious incidents of violence, nineteen-year-old Mary Da Costa is flying to Auckland ahead of her parents to make a new start. She is riddled with reservations – New Zealand is where her late brother was supposed to move – and all she really wants to do is keep to herself and work on her art.

On arrival, Mary comes under the wings of the South African ex-pat community, struggling with its own tensions between homesickness and belonging. Finding work at a local dairy, she meets self-appointed Māori leader Nepukaneha Cooper – Buck, as he’s better known. He and his family have some history with these rugby-mad lovers of apartheid, even more now that they’re encroaching on his turf. If only he had the means to fight them off and realise his life-long dream of establishing a marae on the beautiful strip of coast he has always called home.

Meanwhile, adrift between past and present, Mary is forced to dig deep in order to find her own truths and place in the world.

Nick Mulgrew’s long-awaited debut novel – of grand metaphors, silences, absences, and two cities and countries in flux – is a delightfully innovative, surprising, and warm-hearted meditation on family, loss, and home, as well as a deft examination of dislocation, dispossession, and the cultural blind spots of two very different (and in some ways similar) communities.

Soos vinkel en koljander, dís Najma Abrahams (Tietie) en Azba Fanie (Nanna). Dié twee TikTok-tuiskokke se hande staan vir niks verkeerd óf stil nie, veral nie vir die kospotte nie. Hul resepte is hartskos – niks fensie bestanddele nie, net geurige regte, egte huiskos met ’n Kaaps-Maleise twist.

Groenboontjiebredie, tamatiekos, split pea-sop en selfs die vergete sagobredie, blomkoolbredie, panfrikkadel, Nando’s-hoender, broodpoeding en dhaltjies eerlik gemaak, sonder fieterjasies – dit is mos die onopgesmukte huiskos waarna elkeen verlang. Die kerries is natuurlik ook daar – suikerboon-, hoender-, dhal- en mincekerrie, breyani, noem maar op. Snoek-in-die-oond, kerrievis en seekos-paella (times are tough, ’n mens moet maar ’n paar maande of so spaar daarvoor, sê die twee siezas) bring die see in jou kospotte. Vir “broke week” is daar sakpas-randrekkers soos dhanya-soesys, eierkerrie en spaghetti-en-sardyne. Tietie se peperminttert en lemon meringue is uit ’n ander wêreld en Nanna se braised skaapnek sal enige onthaaltafel laat kreun van smaakgenot. Mavrou, Tietie se lamsvleis-weergawe van dié tradisionele gereg wat in die Kaaps-Maleise kultuur by troues voorgesit word, is ’n tydlose treffer.

En moenie van die happies en lekkernye vergeet nie – dis nou die “soet en sout” waarmee Mzansi se mense grootgeword en die lewe om elke hoek en draai gevier het. Watertand-verleidings soos bollas, flapjacks, skons, snowballs, patatkoekies, sweetcorn fritters en vele meer. Samoesas en roti’s kry variasies in geure en kleure om van te droom. (Só sê Tietie: Roti is baie versatile – eet dit met kerrie, masala steak of selfs as ’n poeding. Dis tog te lekker met strawberries, strawberry jam en cream.)

Nou ja, as jy nie so ’n tuiskombuis geken het nie, is jy waarskynlik reeds daaraan voorgestel op Tietie en Nanna se kookprogram, Tietie en Nanna kook op VIA, kanaal 147 op DStv, of in hul stories en kwinkslae op Instagram en TikTok.

Met Tietie en Nanna se onfeilbare resepte, perfek beproef, kan elkeen weer huiskos, soos ons ma’s, oumas en tantes dit gemaak het, in hul eie kombuise opdis.

Redi Tlhabi, warm-hearted, charismatic and loved throughout South Africa is as well known for her 702 and Cape Talk radio show as she is for her TV performances and Sunday Times newspaper column. In this astonishing debut, Endings & Beginnings, she makes the painful journey back to her death-marred childhood, a journey in which she eventually finds peace and allows her demons to rest.

Redi grew up in the '80s in Orlando, Soweto, with thoughts and emotions so intense they nearly swallowed up her childhood. It was a time when Soweto was under siege from two forces - apartheid and endemic, normalized crime. It was not strange or unusual to refer to so-and-so as `the rapist' or so-and-so as `the killer'. It was also at this time that her father - her hero - was violently murdered, his body discovered on the street, with one eye removed. The perpetrators were never found, and the neighbourhood continued to talk about how he had to be buried without his eye. And then Redi meets Mabegzo: handsome, charming and smooth; Mabegzo, rumoured gangster, murderer and rapist, a veritable `jack-roller' of the neighbourhood. Against her family's wishes she develops a strong and sometimes uncomfortable attraction to him. Redi herself doesn't understand why she is drawn to Mabegzo and why, at eleven, she feels the way that she does for this man known to many as a menace. Then he too is found lying dead in a pool of blood, two years after the death of her father. Redi has to remind herself to stay sane.

Endings & Beginnings is Redi's quest to find out the truth about the circumstances surrounding her father's death. As an adult she visits his grave and decides to find the people that killed her father and ask them why. She also goes on a quest to finally humanise Mabegzo who was hated and abhorred by so many when he was alive. She visits and speaks to his family, friends and neighbours and pieces together the life of this man who came fleetingly through her life but whose presence she would feel for a long time to come

20 South African Short Stories brought to you by Short.Sharp.Stories.

A fraudster cashes out of a life of crime, a mother has a splendid affair, a brave woman never gives up, a graffiti artist spray-paints the city; a poignant friendship comes to a climax in a retirement home, a storyteller understands his true power, a friend delivers a heart-rending eulogy; a young South African searches for belonging in Hong Kong, while another takes a risk assisting a local artist; a photographer explores eroticism through the lens and the body, a group of reggae fans cross borders to seek freedom with Bob Marley, a drummer is haunted by the jazz of Sophiatown; a book on slavery offers a troubled woman a way out, a student faces an impossible choice, the blood moon shines on a forbidden passion … and so much more, as each short story captures the unique moment and meaning of ONE LIFE.

The anthology’s contributors are largely established South African authors who have a track record in the publishing industry, as well as exciting emerging writers. The writers include Stella Douglas, Carmen Gee, Karen Jennings, Joel Kelly, Werner Labuschagne, David Mann, Lerato Mahlangu, Don Makatile, Juliette Mnqeta, Tshidiso Moletsane, Nontobeko Mtshali, Vuyokazi Ngemntu, Jana van Niekerk, Thango Ntwasa, Andrew Prior, Sihle Qwabe, Srila Roy, Khensani Sayiya, Megan Tennant and Jarred Thompson.

When André de Ruyter took over as Eskom CEO in January 2020, he quickly realised why it was considered the toughest job in South Africa.

Aside from neglected equipment, ageing power stations and an eroded skills base, he discovered that Eskom was crippled by corruption on a staggering scale. Fake fuel oil deliveries at just one power station cost Eskom R100 million per month; kneepads retailing for R150 a pair were purchased for R80 000; billions of rands of equipment supposedly housed in the company’s storerooms was missing. Faced with police inaction, he was compelled to plunge into a world that was foreign to him – a world of spies and safe houses, of bulletproof vests and bodyguards.

In Truth to Power, De Ruyter tells the behind-the-scenes story of how he launched a private investigation that exposed at least four criminal cartels feeding off Eskom. While fighting this scourge, he had to deal with political interference, absurd regulations, non-paying municipalities, unfounded accusations of racism, wildcat strikes, sabotage and a poisoning attempt. De Ruyter takes the reader inside the boardrooms and government meetings where South Africa’s future is shaped, with ministers often pulling in conflicting directions. He explains how renewable energy is the cheapest and quickest solution to our power crisis, in spite of fierce opposition from vested coal interests.

De Ruyter candidly reflects on his three years at the power utility, his successes and failures, his reasons for leaving and his hopes for the future. As someone who worked at the highest levels of the state but is not beholden to the ruling party, he is uniquely placed to speak truth to power.

Alfred Qabula was a central figure in the cultural movement that emerged among working people in and around Durban in the 1980s. The movement was an innovative attempt to draw on the oral poetry developed among the Nguni people over many centuries. Qabula was a forklift driver in the Dunlop tyre factory in Durban at the time this book was developed. He used the art of telling stories to critique the exploitation of black workers and their oppression under apartheid.

A Working Life, Cruel Beyond Belief is the first book in the Hidden Voices series and is Qabula’s testament, telling the powerful story of his life and work. It also contains a generous selection of his poetry. The Hidden Voices Project emerged out of an interest in intellectual left contributions towards discussions on race, class, ethnicity and nationalism in South Africa. Specifically, the project seeks to examine and make available writings on left thought under apartheid. The aim is to look at hidden voices – voices outside of the university system or academic voices suppressed by apartheid pressures. Before and during the apartheid years, many universities were closed to existing local ideas and debates, and critical intellectual debates, ideas, texts, poetry and songs often originated outside academia during the period of the struggle for liberation.

In A Coat of Many Colours, award-winning author Fred Khumalo presents a patchwork of various vibrant stories befitting the collection’s title.

A boy plays detective, investigating the case of a goat and a coat; a woman takes revenge; an inhlabi bites off more than he can chew; teenage enmity rears its head in a prestigious school for girls; a man is cursed with an ever-growing sexual appetite; and more thoughtful stories with an entertaining zing!

This book reads like a war-time thriller.

We hear for the first time from internationalists who secretly worked for the ANC’s armed wing, Umkhonto We Sizwe (MK), in the struggle to liberate South Africa from apartheid rule. They acted as couriers, provided safe houses in the neighbouring states and within South Africa, helped infiltrate combatants across borders, and smuggled tonnes of weapons into the country in the most creative of ways. Driven by a spirit of international solidarity, they were prepared to take huge risks and face danger which dogged them at every turn. At least three were captured and served long terms of imprisonment, while others were arrested and, following international pressure, deported. They reveal what motivated them as volunteers, not mercenaries, who gained nothing for their endeavours save for the self-esteem in serving a just cause.

Against such clandestine involvement, the book includes contributions from key role players in the international Anti-Apartheid Movement (AAM) and its public mobilisation to isolate the apartheid regime. These include worldwide campaigns like Stop the Sports Tours, boycotting South African products, and black American solidarity.

The Cuban, East German and Russian contributions outline those countries’ support for the ANC and MK. The public, global AAM campaigns provide the dimension from which internationalists who secretly served MK emerged.

This is an invaluable historic resource, explaining in highly readable style the significance of international solidarity for today’s youth in challenging times.

"Former Miss Universe and Miss South Africa Demi-Leigh Tebow confesses the danger of tying our identities to our accomplishments. Discover the truth of who you were created to be and how to use your platform, no matter how big or small, for eternal impact.

The purpose of our lives is to love and serve God and others. Demi shows how you can be encouraged to focus not just on your aspirations, but on your greater purpose and leave behind a footprint of significance, not just success."

Rhodes and his Banker tells the story of the remarkable friendship between Cecil John Rhodes, a larger-than-life historical figure, and Sir Lewis Michell, a modest, unassuming banker. The financial institution that brought the two together  – the Standard Bank – was at the heart of South Africa's transformation from agricultural backwater to industrial powerhouse in the late 19th century, thanks to the discovery first of diamonds and then of gold.

Richard Steyn, the author of acclaimed biographies of Jan Smuts, Louis Botha and Alfred Milner, intertwines the stories of Rhodes and Michell, chronicling the growth of the Standard Bank under Michell's careful stewardship and the seemingly irresistible rise of Rhodes, rapacious entrepreneur and empire-builder. He situates Rhodes and Michell at the high noon of the British Empire, a time when the benefits of British rule seemed self-evident to its ruling elite.

Michell became Rhodes's trusted confidant and published the first posthumous biography of 'the Colossus'. The banker's position gave him a unique insight into the character and motives of this most controversial and self-driven of British imperialists. Michell also did everything he could to fulfil Rhodes's ambition for a united South Africa and played a key role in setting up the Rhodes Scholarships, perhaps the most enduring legacy of Rhodes's career.

Embark on a culinary journey through South Africa with renowned chef Warren Mendes as your guide. Food Trail South Africa invites you to savour the vibrant flavours and diverse dishes discovered on Warren’s gastronomic expedition through the country.

From bustling markets to hidden kitchens, this cookbook unveils his take on authentic local recipes and brings you an array of exciting new recipes inspired from his travels.

Indulge in the essence of South African cooking and bring its delicious traditions into your home.

Die lugbraaier is ’n veelsydige kombuistoestel wat toenemend gewild raak. Baie mense gebruik lugbraaiers net om voorafbereide kos soos krummellaaghoender of bevrore vis en aartappelskyfies gaar te maak, maar dit kan ook vir talle uithalergeregte, selfs gebak, ingespan word.

Die boek fokus op ou bekende gunstelinge soos malvapoeding, bobotie, appelkoos-snoek met soetpatats, melktert en boerewors met chakalaka, om net ’n paar te noem.

Alles word in die lugbraaier gaargemaak.

In 2018 the world watched as 82 per cent of all wealth created was claimed by the top 1 per cent of the global population. The bottom 50 per cent of humanity saw no increase at all. While one new billionaire was created every two days, one in every four South Africans were living on less than R18 per day – not enough to buy a loaf of bread.

Inequality has always been part of the world we live in, but in the past twenty years the situation has worsened. We have seen the rise of mega corporations, where regional companies have become global players: power brokers that are richer and more powerful than most countries. This has seen businesses record ever-increasing profits while they pay ever-decreasing taxes. How is this happening?

In South Africa, millions of people depend on the services and products of mega corporations, but to what extent do these corporations influence and affect the lives of their consumers? What do these companies do with all the power that is in their hands?

In The Dirty Secrets of the Rich and Powerful, James-Brent Styan casts the spotlight on economic inequality and unpacks historical and ongoing business practices that have a real influence on people today. This book takes you right into the corridors of power and behind the closed doors of the boardrooms of the rich and powerful to show you how, and why, the status quo seems so unfair.

Bibby’s – More Good Food embraces approachable food made with thoughtful consideration. Devoid of intimidating complexities, the recipes are for the most part appealingly simple, versatile and straightforward. Many of the recipes are plant-centric without being exclusively vegetarian. Expect an abundance of textural contrast and funky flavour enhancers.

The book is divided into nine vibrantly fresh chapters, influenced largely by Middle Eastern and Mediterranean flavours. The author advises on what constitutes a well-stocked pantry and how to maximize its potential to the fullest. The busyness of weekdays is balanced with slower weekends, when a few gentler hours in the kitchen are just what’s needed. The doors are thrown open to hospitality, marrying food and creative tablescapes, setting the tone for intimate at-home gatherings. Meticulously crafted menus ensure a seamless transition from start to finish, with classy cocktails, traditional breads, resplendent mains and swoon-worthy desserts.

​All the recipes are beautifully styled and photographed by the author herself. If you’re after food less ordinary, this is the book for you.

This book is an all-encompassing guide to everything Jan Braai currently knows about braaing. It is a celebration of this wonderful South African tradition, in which 15–20 million South Africans participate each year on 24 September on National Braai Day. To celebrate the 20th anniversary of this cultural event, Jan Braai has put together more than 200 recipes that can be cooked over and enjoyed alongside a wood fire.

Divided into 20 chapters, the book includes recipes for traditional favourites such as classic potjies, steaks, burgers and ribs, to less conventional dishes prepared on the braai, including pasta, pizza, salads and desserts. Every dish is delectable and the accompanying photography will have your mouth watering, and your family and friends clamouring for a get-together around the braai fire while you put your braai skills to the test. Jan Braai’s clear instructions and no-nonsense attitude to the art of braai will ensure that even newbie braaiers will easily pull off these recipes.

There is something for everyone in this book. Readily available ingredients mean it’s a breeze to put the meals together, as most items are probably on hand already, or can be sourced with minimal effort or a quick trip to the supermarket.

Also available in Afrikaans, as 'Atmosvuur'.

First published to international acclaim in 1996, The Seed Is Mine is a bold and innovative social history concerning the disenfranchised blacks who did so much to shape the destiny of South Africa.

After years of interviews with Kas Maine and his neighbours, employers, friends, and family – a rare triumph of collaborative courage and dedication – Charles van Onselen has recreated the entire life of a man who struggled to maintain his family in a world dedicated to enriching whites and impoverishing blacks, while South Africa was tearing them apart.

With this great new book, The South African Air Fryer Cookbook 2, you can delight friends and family at breakfast, lunch, supper or any special occasion with delicious takes on classic South African dishes.

Best-selling author Louisa Holst knows what the air-fryer market wants and has brought local flavours to the fore once again! Recipes include springbokkie cheesecake, brandy-and-coke chicken wings, snoek and apricot filo samosas, and a fish-finger Gatsby for the hungry kids that they can whip up themselves. Chicken peri-peri pie, gammon (yes – it can be done in the air fryer), roast lamb, buttermilk rusks, pavlova and mini fruit cakes are yet more of the mouthwatering dishes in the book.

You’ll never think of flying in South Africa in the same way again.

This is an insider’s tale of the South African airline industry over the past thirty years, as told by Glenn Orsmond, and particularly the story of the dramatic collapse of Comair in 2022.

Orsmond, who was twice the CEO of Comair and the founder CEO of 1time, takes the reader on a wild ride through the ultracompetitive sector of low-cost airlines that boomed in this country after South African Airways’ stranglehold on the skies was loosened in the 1990s. Comair – which operated both Kulula and British Airways – and 1time were at the forefront of this new wave of airlines that saw domestic flying and tourism take off.

But after some incredible highs and lows, Comair crashed under Orsmond’s watch despite the company’s 75-year unblemished profit history. The pandemic’s impact, the grounding of aeroplanes after a questionable regulator investigation and poor management decisions all contributed to its downfall.

You can expect tales of industry legends and innovation but also of competitors trying to gut each other, battles between pilots and accountants, unions and bosses at loggerheads, and warfare between shareholders and directors in boardrooms.

Francois van Coke span met die skryf van hierdie biografie saam met Annie Klopper om in sy eie stem die gebeure te vertel wat hom as mens en musikant gevorm het. Sy perspektief word gebied op als van Fokofpolisiekar tot Van Coke Kartel, die sukses van “Toe vind ek jou” en sy rol as afrigter op The Voice. Minder bekende en onbekende verhale word ook vertel oor wilde partytjies, vuisgevegte, dwelms, nagte in tronkselle, liefde, soberheid en pa-wees. Dít is sy stories, hoe hý dit onthou.

Although conceived and birthed well before the ANC’s December 2017 elective conference and the changes of the political and governance guards that ensued, The List imagines a ‘New Dawn’ for South Africa in the closing years of the second decade of the 21st Century.

Rumours have abounded since the early days of South African democracy of a list or lists given to Nelson Mandela and the TRC by old apartheid securocrats of their agents infiltrated into the upper echelons of the ANC during the struggle years. These rumours gained new currency with the death of Winnie Madikizela-Mandela in April 2018 and the revelations of the machinations of apartheid’s Stratcom securocrats.

The List tells the story of a group of veterans of MK, of ANC intelligence and of the post-apartheid intelligence service, who are formed into a highly secret task team by the newly elected president to investigate the possibility of such remnants of apartheid security threatening to obstruct the radical changes the new president and his team are planning.

The List follows these veterans and their nemeses through the struggle years, exile, the MK camps and into the years of democracy and hope, disillusion and hope again. It observes while the struggle veterans painstakingly attempt to pick through the detritus of the old regime in the new, but just as the moment of optimism begins to blossom, the task team uncovers a ghastly betrayal. Is it too late to save the president and the country?

The novel is narrated from the future by one of the veterans of the task team from his second exile in a bedsit in London.

Topverkoperskrywer Louisa Holst weet wat die lugbraaiermark wil hê en het weer plaaslike geure na vore gebring!

Resepte sluit in springbokkie-kaaskoek, brandewyn-en-coke-hoendervlerkies, snoek- en appelkoosfilo-samosas, en 'n visvinger-Gatsby vir die honger kinders wat hulle self kan opslaan. Peri-peri-hoenderpastei, gammon (ja – dit kan in die lugbraaier gedoen word), gebraaide lam, karringmelkbeskuit, pavlova en mini-vrugtekoeke is nog meer van die watertand geregte in die boek.

CULTURENEERING = Building a strong business culture in a diverse workforce that delivers obsessive customer service.

Are you a leader who aims to drive real growth for the people within your organisation and at the same time deliver exceptional customer service that sets you apart from your competitors?

Running a business in a racially polarised country with a melting pot of diversity, requires leaders to understand the complexity of building an inclusive culture out of a fragmented workforce. A strong culture is not only focused on chasing financial objectives, but is based on trust, equality, respect and mutual tolerance. When every employee has a true sense of belonging, despite their differences, it is possible to create a common purpose of obsessive customer service.

Cultureneering is a philosophy and framework that Ian Fuhr has spent four decades developing, and which he perfected while building the Sorbet Group, Africa’s largest beauty salon chain. This book takes the reader on a journey of personal development and unpacks the unbreakable link between culture and service. It reveals the tools required to build a company culture that is good for its people, its customers and, ultimately, for sustainable growth.

Leaders need to embrace this culture-driven approach to business leadership as it promises to play an important role in the overall transformation of our country’s workforce.

Rassie Erasmus is al geniaal genoem. Hy is al roekeloos genoem. Nog sy lewe lank het hy dinge anders gedoen. Nou sal Rassie op sy kenmerkende openhartige manier gesels oor sy lewe vol voorspoed en teëspoed, op en weg van die rugbyveld – as Springbokspeler, provinsiale afrigter, en as die hoofafrigter wat die nasionale span na die Rugbywêreldbeker-sege in 2019 en ook in die aanloop tot 2023 se Wêreldbeker gelei het.

Hy sal terugkyk op sy loopbaan as speler en afrigter, iemand wie se ingebore rugby-instink, vermoë om ’n wedstryd anders te lees en aptyt vir harde werk hom nog altyd onderskei het, en gelei het tot omstredenheid en mislukking, maar ook dawerende sukses.

Rassie werk saam met die bekende joernalis David O’Sullivan om sy lewensverhaal te vertel. David is ’n bekroonde skrywer en omroeper.

The air fryer is a versatile kitchen gadget that has grown in popularity over the last few years. Essentially it is a small countertop convection oven that cooks food quickly and efficiently. While many people only use their air fryers to cook pre-prepared food like crumbed chicken, or frozen fish or chips, it can actually be used to prepare many tasty dishes, even for baking!

In The South African Air Fryer Cookbook, we focus on all things local, with favourites such as malva pudding, bobotie, apricot snoek with sweet potato, milk tart, and boerewors with chakalaka, all prepared in the air fryer.

You’re sure to find your most cherished South African dish in this fabulous collection of recipes.

Omstrede en skatryk oud-politikus Armand Deysel is vermoor, en Kassie en Rooi het nie minder nie as ses verdagtes.

’n Britse ondersoeker is op die spoor van die waardevolle Doolhof-halssnoer, en ’n platsakman steier telkens terug van die samelewing se dwarsklappe. Kassie en Rooi pak hul ondersoek sonder forensiese rugsteun aan, en al die verdagtes hardloop kringe om hulle.

Gaan iemand dié keer vir Kassie ore aansit ̶ en met die perfekte moord wegkom?