Discover the beauty of South Africa’s beaches with MapStudio's newly released Life's A Beach.

This guide explores 9,500kms of the best beaches in the world, from Alexander Bay along the coast to Sodwana, visiting hundreds of beaches and exploring a magnificent coastline. The author, Ann Gadd, has tramped up dunes, scrambled over rocky cliffs, swam as often as time would allow, hung off numerous piers and took over 6,000 photos. She sums up her experience as being aware that people are never as happy as on a beach, soaking up the sun, doing a radical off the lip or holding a rod.

The guide gives the reader activities to do on land as well as on water with great sundowner spots and unique experiences. Find the best swimming beaches and national parks with overview maps indicating sites and handy tips for the best meal, best-kept secrets, child-friendly activities, star-rated activities and blue flag beaches. If you want to do activities besides soaking up magnificent scenery, the guide explores hiking, walking, fishing, surfing, swimming, boat launches, bodyboarding, kayaking, kiteboarding, boardsailing, canoeing and SUP. This guide is a fantastic keepsake for locals as well as anyone who enjoys water sports, and is light-weight for tourists to take back home as their travel memento.

So, get off couch and explore the wealth of fantastic options along South Africa’s shores.

This book’s title says it all! Now in an updated second edition, it provides a clear understanding of how trees are constructed and what to look for when identifying a tree.

The book is divided into two parts: Part 1 describes and clearly illustrates the different parts of a tree and their role in tree identification. Part 2 features a key to 43 tree groups, based on easy-to-observe stem and leaf features. It carefully outlines each group and the southern African tree families represented in the different groups. Numerous colour photographs and explanatory illustrations support the text, making this an accessible and easy-to-use guide.

How To Identify Trees In Southern Africa will equip readers with a sound understanding of how trees work and what to look for in order to make a positive ID.

Springbok rugby public relations manager Annelee Murray was with the team for 244 matches, during which time she worked with seven national coaches and 21 Springbok captains.

This is a celebration of her 20 year journey with the Springboks, she has unique stories to tell and most of the photographs in the book are her own images from her collection, many of which will be published for the first time.

This fully updated edition of Field Guide to Wild Flowers of South Africa covers more than 1,100 species of flora, focusing on the most common, conspicuous and ‘showy’ plants around the region.

An informative introduction discusses plant diversity, vegetation types, and includes a key to identifying plant groups. The species descriptions follow and each is accompanied by:

• a vivid photograph,
• a distribution map showing range, and
• an indication of the plant’s flowering season.

This invaluable, up-to-date guide provides the tools and information needed to identify flowering plants across South Africa.

Few athletes hold a record comparable to that of Oscar Chalupsky. He made history at the age of fifteen as the first person to win both the Junior and Senior Ironman titles on the same day at the South African National Lifesaving Championships, he was the country’s spokesman at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, and he is a multiple-times global surfski champion, having won the internationally famous Molokai to Oahu World Surfski Marathon championships in Hawaii a record twelve times – his most recent victory being at the age of forty-nine.

Then, in 2019, he was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, an incurable bone marrow cancer and told he had six months to live. But as with everything else Oscar does, he is determined to emerge victorious. He continues to paddle kayaks, play golf, and with a combination of medical treatment, exercise, iron determination and unconquerable optimism, he has defied every doctor’s prediction to date. How does he do it?

In this book, Oscar relives some of his most exhilarating and nail-biting races, and shares the lessons he has learnt from winning on the international surf lifesaving, kayak and surfski circuits as well as running several successful businesses. The final chapters recount his courageous battle against cancer, the vital support of his family and friends, and his refusal to let the deadly disease dictate his life.

No Retreat, No Surrender is an uplifting account of grit, perseverance, talent and attitude, vividly capturing the determined mindset of an inspirational sporting legend.

Part detective trail, part love affair and pure story telling at its best.

In 1990 an expedition of Cambridge scientists arrived at the Plains of Nechisar, tucked between the hills of the Great Rift Valley in the Gamo Gofa province in the country of Ethiopia. On that expedition, 315 species of birds were seen; 61 species of mammal and 69 species of butterfly were identified; 20 species of dragonflies and damselflies; 17 reptile species were recorded; three frog species were filed; plants were listed. And the wing of a road-killed bird was packed into a brown paper bag.

It was to become the most famous wing in the world.

When the specimens finally arrived at the British Natural History Museum in Tring it set the world of science aflutter. It seemed that the wing was unique, but they questioned, can you name a species for the first time based only on the description of a wing, based on just one wing?

After much to and fro, confirmation was unanimous, and the new species was announced, Nechisar Nightjar, Caprimulgus solala, (solus:only and ala:wing). And birdwatchers like Vernon began to dream.

Twenty-two years later an expedition of four led by Ian Sinclair set off to try to find this rarest bird in the world.

Vernon R.L. Head captivates and enchants as he tells of the adventures of Ian, Dennis, Gerry and himself as they navigate the wilderness of the plains, searching by spotlight for the elusive Nechisar Nightjar.

Tissue salts are minerals that our bodies need to ensure optimal health. They are found in the Earth’s rocks and soil, and in food that is grown organically in mineralrich soil. Considered to be the basic constituents of our bones, blood, organs and muscles, they are easily absorbed by the human body, with no side-effects. In this book, Margaret Roberts draws on decades of experience to advise readers on using the 12 key tissue salts to slow the ageing process, promote vitality and enhance health. Each tissue salt is presented in its own chapter, with tips on treating specific ailments; and advice on increasing the intake of the salts through the diet. An ailment chart is included for quick reference. An indispensable guide for anyone interested in health, wellness, and using natural remedies to ease the effects of ageing.

With prose like jazz – thrilling, mysterious, playful – Oyama Mabandla excavates the values that created a steady flow of pioneering South Africans under impossible conditions.

Can these values, maligned in 1994, be recaptured and set South Africa on its best trajectory?

ow in its fifth edition, Sasol Birds of Southern Africa has been brought fully up to date by its expert author panel, with additional contributions from two new birding experts. Greatly enhanced, this comprehensive, best-selling guide is sure to maintain its place as one of Africa’s most trusted field guides.

Key features of the 5th revised edition:

• More than 800 new illustrations
• Scan and play bird calls using free downloadable app
• Fully revised text (with latest species records), maps and plate annotations
• Fresh input from new contributing authors
• Comprehensive coverage of the region’s birds

This larger edition is based on the updated and expanded fifth edition of Sasol Birds of Southern Africa, which has been brought fully up to date by its expert author panel, with additional contributions from two new birding experts.

Greatly enhanced, this comprehensive, best-selling guide is sure to maintain its place as one of Africa’s most trusted field guides.

Key features of the 5th revised edition:

• More than 800 new illustrations
• Scan and play bird calls using free downloadable app
• Fully revised text (with latest species records), maps and plate annotations
• Fresh input from new contributing authors
• The larger format allows for better appreciation and easier use of the plates.

His truth. His story. In his words.

There have been many comments made and books written about Siya Kolisi, captain of the Springboks, and the first black man to lead his country in over 128 years of South African rugby.

But now, for the very first time, Siya Kolisi shares his story in an extraordinarily intimate memoir, charting his journey from being born into the impoverished Zwide township, to leading his proud nation to an astonishing victory at the Rugby World Cup in 2019.

However, Rise is not simply a chronology of matches played and games won; it is an exploration of a man’s race and his faith, a masterclass in attaining a positive mindset, and an inspirational reminder that it is possible to defy the odds, no matter how they are stacked against you.

In 2020, partly in response to the pandemic, Siya and his wife, Rachel, launched The Kolisi Foundation, providing personal protective equipment to healthcare workers and delivering food parcels throughout South Africa.

The title Rise is inspired by Siya’s mother – Phakama – which translates to the book’s name, as well as a celebration of his Xhosa heritage.

Featuring all-new spoor drawings, some 200 new photographs and an extra 35 species, this fully revised and updated edition of the ever-popular Tracker Manual is packed with the latest on the art of tracking.

Based on information developed by some of southern Africa’s best traditional trackers, Tracker Manual gives even more guidance on how to identify the spoor of some 190 animal species. Individual chapters cover carnivores, large mammals, antelopes, small mammals, primates, hares and rodents, amphibians and reptiles, birds and insects.

Each account contains:

• Simple, bulleted text on key points of each animal’s tracks
• Clear, accurate track drawings
• Numerous informative photographs, sometimes annotated
• A list of similar tracks (where applicable), to avoid misidentification

An instructive introduction describes the science of tracking and outlines what to look for in the field, while a quick-reference table compares tracks that are easily confused. This detailed and richly illustrated manual to the region’s most common animal tracks and signs will prove invaluable in the field.

Inkleurboeke vir volwassenes is steeds baie gewild en daar is eindelose opsies om van te kies en keur. Inligting oor selfdoentegnieke wanneer dit by inkleur kom, is egter nie so volop beskikbaar nie. In hierdie boek deel inkleurkunstenaar, Monique Day-Wilde, alles van die kies van papier, potlode en ander inkleurmateriale, tot die teorie van kleur en kleurvermenging. Sy deel ook basiese en meer gevorderde tegnieke vir spesiale effekte, en wat jy dan met jou inkleurprente kan doen. Leer oor skadutegnieke met enkele of 'n verskeidenheid kleure, afskerming, meng- en vryftegnieke, skep van tekstuur, interessante maniere om groot agtergronde te vul, byvoeging van blinkgoed, stempels met bosseleervloeistof en selfs die gebruik van potloodskaafsels. Daar skuil soveel meer agter inkleurwerk as om net tussen die lyne te hou. Terwyl daar werklik geen regte of verkeerde manier is om in te kleur nie, sal hierdie boek jou help om inkleurwerk te omskep in 'n ervaring wat sal lei tot 'n kunswerk waarop jy kan trots wees - net vir jouself, of om mee te spog by ander.

Thoroughly revised and updated, this long-awaited new edition of Field Guide to the Spiders of South Africa remains the most comprehensive guide to South African spiders published to date.

It features over 780 of the more common spider species encountered in the field and in homes and gardens, as well as representative species from some of the rarer spider families.

• ‘Quick Keys’ to the 72 South African spider families provide a useful starting point to identification.
• Succinct genus and species accounts cover identifying characteristics, breeding, behaviour, distribution and conservation status.
• Colour photographs and/or illustrations as well as distribution maps support each entry.
• Introductory chapter discusses spider morphology, spider life cycle, the functions of silk, as well as spider collection techniques.
• Section on venom identifies species that pose a danger to humans, unpacks neurotoxic and cytotoxic venom, and details the symptoms and treatment of spider bites.

Ian: ‘You’re going to run how far?’
Ryan: ‘250 kilometres. But it’s over seven days, though.’
Ian: ‘And the furthest you’ve ever run is …?’
Ryan: ‘42.2 kilometres … on the road. And on trail … 35 kilometres.’
Ian: ‘Ryan, I think you need to reassess this …’

What does it take to run a six-day race through the world’s harshest deserts? Or 100 miles in a single day at altitudes that would leave you breathless just walking? More than that, though: what is it like to win these races? South Africa’s ultra-trail-running superstar Ryan Sandes has done just that.

Since bursting onto the international trail-running scene by winning the first multistage race he ever entered – the brutal Gobi March – Ryan has gone on to win various other multistage and single-day races around the globe. Written with bestselling author and journalist Steve Smith, Trail Blazer – My Life as an Ultra-distance Trail Runner recounts the life story of this intrepid sportsman, from his experiences as a rudderless party animal to becoming a world-class athlete, and includes details on his training regimes, race strategies and aspirations for future sporting endeavours. Sports enthusiasts will enjoy the adrenaline-inducing trials and tribulations of one of South Africa’s most awe-inspiring athletes, while endurance-sport participants – from beginners to aspirant pros – will benefit from his insights and advice.

As Professor Tim Noakes says in the Foreword to this book: ‘However much we might think we know and understand, there are some phenomena which now, and perhaps forever, we will never fully comprehend. We call such happenings “enigmas”. Or even miracles. Ryan Sandes is one such.’

Meet the mammals, reptiles, insects and birds who populate the veld, desert, forests and ponds of South Africa.

From the ant-eating aardvark to the zebra spitting cobra, there is a new friend on every page. Packed with vivid and charming illustrations and includes the scientific name of each animal.

The thrilling story of the conservationist who pioneered the use of dogs in combating poachers in South Africa’s game reserves.

One of Conraad’s first brushes with the reality of life at the frontline of conservation was when he shot the leader of a poaching gang in Windy Ridge game reserve in his teens. Much of Con’s work involving dogs is a continuous struggle against industrial-scale bushmeat poachers, an even greater threat to wildlife than rhino horn poachers as the overburdened courts seem interested only in endangered species. He also works to catch poachers of critically endangered pangolins, the most trafficked animal in the world. Con decided to use his almost telepathic rapport with dogs to tackle the poaching crisis sweeping South Africa.

His first anti-poaching dog, a Weimaraner named Zingela, became an inseparable companion. Zingela saved Conraad’s life on numerous occasions – once when Conraad was about to be assassinated by two fellow rangers hired by poachers.

Con’s story is an epic of modern-day African wildlife conservation, spiced with adventure, courage and romance.

Ericas come in an astonishing array of sizes, shapes and colours. Some 760 species, many of them found nowhere else, occur in the Cape Floristic region – a centre of unparalleled diversity for the genus and home to one of the world’s richest floras.

Even when in bloom, telling these delicate flowers apart is extremely challenging. In Ericas of the Fynbos, 170 of the region’s most common plants are described in detail, with key ID features highlighted for quick reference. In addition, information is given on distribution, flowering times, subspecies and similar species – providing more tools to aid accurate identification. Vivid full-colour photographs of each species showcase the astonishing variety and stunning beauty of the flowers. An informative introduction unpacks biology, pollination and distribution of erica species.

Enriched by a lively design, this innovative guide will give all flower enthusiasts, gardeners and hikers, the confidence to accurately identify ericas in the wild.

Oor hierdie Hertzogpryswenner se nuutste bundel sê Louis Esterhuizen: “Nog selde het ek ʼn versameling gedigte teëgekom wat so volgehoue en voluit op satire ingestel is, in dié mate dat hierdie gedigte gunstig vergelyk met MM Walters se indrukwekkende digterskap. Bykans die totaliteit van menswees en menslike prestasie word in hierdie gedigte voor stok gekry: van die klassieke skrywers en mitologieë, tot die hedendaagse; so ook die visuele kunste en musiek."

An African safari is arguably one of the most alluring and easily understood dreams of our time. Just the thought of an African safari evokes thoughts of adventure, a journey through nature's greatest spectacle, a glimpse of the earth before man.

African Safari is an exploration of all that the word safari encompasses, from journeys on horseback and dugout canoes, the quiet drifting of a balloon and the tension of waiting on foot to the smell of dung, soil and the rain. African Safari is an intimate odyssey through the great wilderness of Africa and an eye on its wild denizens, spiced with the echoes of a romantic history.

African Safari is divided into eight chapters:

• South Africa (Kruger & the Kgalagadi)
• Namibia (Etosha, Damaraland and Kaokaland)
• Botswana (Okavango, Chobe, and Linyanti)
• Zimbabwe (Mana Pools and the Zambezi)
• Zambia (North and South Luangwa)
• Tanzania (Ngorongoro and the Serengeti)
• Kenya (Masai Mara, Amboseli, and Tsavo)
• Rwanda & Uganda (Parc des Volcans and Mgahinga)

"Around South Africa in Eighteen Days" documents the author's journey to the country s most scenic and photogenic areas.

The book is divided into eighteen sections, each one representing a day in a different area. The beautiful photographs and witty captions make for pleasant reading and for contemplating your own trip to far-flung regions.

The book may also inspire readers to move away from their coffee tables and couches and make the eighteen-day trip themselves, as it gives practical advice on the route and the photographic equipment that is needed to make this journey a successful photographic expedition

Extraordinarily similar woodpeckers in South America and Africa? And not only woodpeckers: other bird families across a wide range, as well as quintessentially African trees native across South America, from Ecuador to Paraguay. How could this be?

Soekenjin is ’n bundel oor begeerte, 'n versameling verse oor die lewe in die tyd van die Internet van Dinge. Dit is gedigte oor die soeke na alles: liefde, die self, betekenis en die regte woord, en oor die sublieme en banale dinge wat ons as soekers vind.

Die bundel ondersoek ook die vreemde afdraaipaadjies waarlangs ons nuuskierigheid, behoeftes en verslawings ons lei.

This completely revised field guide to one of Africa’s finest birding spots, the Kruger National Park and adjacent Lowveld, is packed with new information on all of the more than 550 species that have been recorded to date.

This includes updated text and distribution maps based on data from the Southern African Bird Atlas Project 2, hundreds of new illustrations, new sections with bird tracks and bird habitats and the latest rarity information.

Incorporating information from literally hundreds of observers and contributors, this field guide sets a new standard for the region’s varied avifauna.