Magenge, We Need to Talk is bestselling author Melusi Tshabalala's call to men to open up, talk more, listen more and change.

The book is built around a series of conversations that Melusi's been having with his male friends, his Magenge, over the years. These round tables navigate the shitshow known as "adulting", through the lens of 40­something­year­old black men, trying to make sense of their place in the world. These intimate and often humorous convos embrace black fatherhood, black love, gender relations, gender based violence, racism, traditions and religion, hosted by the intrepid Melusi and his unique take on the wonky world black men find themselves in.

“We need to talk." Is there a more terrifying opening statement to any engagement? Whether it’s a wife, a girlfriend, your banker or lawyer – usually nothing good follows that suggestion."Now, if you have both a wife and a girlfriend," says the author, "we definitely need to talk."

Duduza. Bopha. Imbiza. Phapha. Asixoliseni. Amapopeye . . . What is the power of a single word?

Six days a week, advertising creative Melusi Tshabalala posts a Zulu word on his Everyday Zulu Facebook page and tells a story about it. His off-beat sense of humour, razor-sharp social observations and frank political commentary not only teaches his followers isiZulu but also offer insight into the world Melusi inhabits as a 21st century Zulu man.

Over the past few months he has built up a big and a loyal following that include radio host Jenny Crwys-Williams and Afrikaans author Marita van der Vyfer. He pokes fun at our differences and makes us laugh at ourselves and each other.

Melusi asks critical questions of everyone, from Aunty Helen, Dudu-Zille to Silili (Cyril Ramaphosa) and even Woolworths (why are their aircons always set on ‘jou moer’?). His fans love him for his honesty and commitment to pointing out subtle and overt forms of prejudice and racism.

Melusi’s Everyday Zulu holds up a mirror that shows South African society in all its flaws and its sheer humanity. Most importantly, he shows the power of words and that there’s umzulu in all of us!