The Best Books About South Africa
When we first got notice that we would be moving to South Africa for Wilhelm’s job in Johannesburg, we were still stuck during COVID-19 in our small DC apartment. Eager to get a feel for the country, I started tracking down the best books about South Africa or written by South African authors. From my first book until the latest, I’m sharing my favorite reads from this incredible country. Of course, there are thousands upon thousands of books but these are the best books that have caught my eye.
As I wrote my thoughts to review these books, I realize most of the themes of these books are depressing, yet impactful. The stories and history will stay with you and leave you thinking well beyond the last page.
This post contains affiliate links, with Amazon because I use my Kindle as my main source of books and only purchase physical copies (usually second-hand) or if titles aren’t available in an e-book format.
I love using a Kindle though at first, it took some time to get used to the format in comparison to a book. I have a very old Kindle (from 2016, which isn’t even available online) that I will only replace when it absolutely dies. My only complaint is that I can’t read it at night without a light and so I’d suggest getting just a couple of generations above mine and splurging for one with a backlight, like this Kindle. I also use the Kindle App on my phone (with the text white and background black) so I can read easily at night or literally anywhere. I personally use the Amazon app to buy ebooks for my Kindle.
This post is updated regularly with new books.
Books about Johannesburg
Johannesburg, more commonly called Joburg or Jozi, has it all from Africa’s richest Square Mile (Sandton) to the gritty CBD (Central Business District). It’s a city of contrasts and gives authors a fantastic backdrop for all adventures.
Joburg Noir
I picked up a copy of Joburg Noir when visiting a bookstore downtown in the CBD. From drugs and crime to relationships, the stories focus on the underbelly of Johannesburg. As a collection of short stories, this book goes through different periods of Joburg’s history.
I loved reading through the stories and identifying streets, shops, and restaurants that the authors include. The most interesting story turned out to be one of the last in the book, mostly because it went into the history of Yeoville.
Yeoville once was the center of a thriving cultural and artistic community in Johannesburg. It developed into an eclectic community where both blacks and whites were welcome. Following the end of Apartheid, the community shifted and is now a “little Africa” within Joburg; many immigrants from Cameroon, Ethiopia, and Nigeria move to Yeoville. However, many of the cornerstone restaurants that characterized Yeoville have either moved or closed completely. Nowadays, tourists and ex-pats alike are told to avoid Yeoville for high crime. It’s fascinating to go back in time with this book.
Soweto, Under the Apricot Tree
The editor of Joburg Noir, Niq Mhlongo, shares stories of South Africa’s most famous township, Soweto in his own book Soweto, Under the Apricot Tree.
The Gold Diggers
The Gold Diggers is an interconnected story of African immigrants in Johannesburg and the discrimination and struggles they face. It’s a dramatic and depressing easy read.
South African authors of Indian descent
Moving on from Johannesburg and going further back in time, South African writers of Indian descent have fascinated me. I randomly picked up Jesus is Indian by Agnes Sam in Durban, in our earlier adventures. The introduction of the book goes into the history of indentured laborers from India in the 1860s and how the government actively prevented them and their descendants from integrating into South Africa once indentured labor was banned in 1915. In fact, the Indian government was the first to ban indentured labor to Natal in 1911 because of how poorly the laborers were treated.
A History of Indentured labor in South Africa
Why did South Africa need indentured labor in the first place? Well, basically there was no labor force willing to work the British government’s sugar plantations in the province of Natal in the 1850s. The Zulu people of the region refused to work for the colonizers so instead, they requested indentured laborers from India. At first, migration was slow. However, when famines and epidemics (such as cholera) struck India in 1866, Indians grabbed at a chance of a new life in South Africa and boarded ships bound for South Africa. What awaited the laborers in South Africa was more like slavery.
In all, 384 ships sailed between India and South Africa, bringing over 150,000 Indians to Natal.
Why did indentured laborers stay in South Africa?
What lay next for indentured servants after the end of their 3 to 5+ years mandatory work period is complicated to describe.
At one end, laborers were encouraged to stay on in Natal as they filled the labor gap in the country. They were offered free passage back to India if they renewed their contracts for 10 years. Additionally, laborers were typically not able to afford to return to India on their own; payment to laborers was often sporadic, withheld, or never paid out so they could not buy a return ticket or buy their own land once ‘freed’.
On the other end, between 1914 and 1930, the British government attempted a multipronged approach to, in essence, get rid of Indians by introducing repatriation back to India and emigration out of South Africa. Basically, if you weren’t working on the sugar cane plantation, or later the railroads, the British government didn’t want you in South Africa.
Get a more complete picture and information by reading The Heritage Portal and the introduction of Jesus is Indian. (This is where I’ve gotten the above info).
My growing collection of books from South Africans of Indian descent.
Jesus is Indian
Jesus is Indian was my first introduction to the genre. I picked up the book randomly in a bookstore in Durban. The title caught my eye. Sam’s short stories describe the hidden culture of South Africans of Indian descent.
The Lotus People
The Lotus People by Aziz Hassim is an epic story of two families from India living in South Africa. It includes incredible historical detail on the experiences and struggles of Indians from the 1880s up to the 1950s. I’ve recently bought the book and I’m excited to read it.
Across the Kala Pani
For my birthday in 2022, Wilhelm (knowing my obsession with this genre) bought me the newly published Across the Kala Pani. The story follows four women as they decide to leave India for the promises of South Africa. This book takes inspiration from the author’s actual ancestors who journeyed to South Africa and their historical records. I was enthralled and read the book in two days.
Bitter Fruit
Bitter Fruit by Achmat Dangor is a depressing and unsettling book following the black middle-class post-apartheid. It was a finalist for the Man Booker Prize and the IMPAC-Dublin Literary Award. The story follows a black lawyer for the Justice Department who encounters the white police lieutenant who raped his wife two decades before. His marriage starts to fall apart and his son experiences doubts about who he is. Another depressing but dramatic book that’ll stay with you.
Against an African Sky and Other Stories
I loved Against an African Sky and Other Stories by Farida Karodia. The five stories are impactful, ranging from across South Africa, with a father who lost his wife and children to a disabled man in a small town. Karodia explores new South Africa from the perspectives of Indian, African, and European characters.
More Books by the Indian Diaspora in South Africa
Jesus is Indian inspired my interest in this hidden history. After much googling, I came across a couple of links with book recommendations for this genre. Luckily, I found a single article with a short history and a list of books by South African authors of Indian descent. Check it out for yourself to learn more.
- Ratanya Mochi by Ashwin Desai
- Behold the Earth Mourns by Ansuyah Singh
- Cardboard Mansions by Farida Karodia
- Daughters of the Twilight by Farida Karodia
- Kafka’s Curse by Achmat Dangor
Most of these books are long out of print and difficult to find but will be well worth the effort.
The Best South African Fiction
Contemporary books
Mothers and Other Strangers is a contemporary book about a young woman living in NYC learning about her mother and her reasons for leaving South Africa after her death. Reads like a soul-searching mystery book. (Is that even a genre? Idk but that’s what it is.)
Historical Fiction
Hum If You Don’t Know the Words is set in Johannesburg during Apartheid in 1975. It centers around a young girl and her relationship with her aunt after the sudden death of the young girl’s parents. At the same time, a black mother is searching for her daughter who is participating in student protests. These stories converge to show how the young girl unlearns subtle racism.
South African Literature
J M. Coetzee is one of South Africa’s most famous authors and was the 2003 recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature. Disgrace and The Life and Times of Michael K are two of his books that I’ve read and recommend.
The Promise by Damon Galgut won the Booker Prize in 2021. It’s an epic family saga detailing guilt, broken promises, and hope of a white family outside Pretoria near the end of apartheid. It’s an incredibly moving read.
Cry the Beloved Country by Alan Patron is the passionate story of a Zulu pastor and his son set against the background of racial injustice. It is often said that this book is the single most important novel in South African literature.
Coffee Table Books
William Kentridge
William Kentridge is one of South Africa’s most prolific artists. His work is displayed around the world. To the layman, his most popular work may be the “Triumphs and Laments,” along the Tiber River Walkway in Rome.
Kentridge is also known for his short animated/sketch movies and printmaking. He lives and works in Johannesburg. He has several coffee table books, many of which are out of print, making them more valuable). In fact, we visited an art gallery in Joburg that specializes in Kentridge’s books and the owner made a fuss and told us the book we wanted wasn’t for sale because it was his last one! Turns out he had an extra so we got the last book known to him haha.
Check out some of Kentridge’s most popular coffee table books:
Hidden Johannesburg
The perfect coffee table book to inspire you to visit Joburg, Hidden Johannesburg is a collection of stunning photographs by Alain Proust, with an explanation of the historical sites by Paul Duncan. We were gifted this book by one of my best friends when we moved to Joburg as a housewarming present.
Books about South Africa’s History
Long Walk to Freedom: A book that barely needs an introduction, Long Walk to Freedom is the autobiography of South Africa’s first black president and the head of South Africa’s antiapartheid movement.
Get it on the kindle version here.
Born A Crime: Written by veteran Late Night show host, Trevor Noah, Born a Crime is his autobiography. It’s a wild coming-of-age story that’ll keep you up at night. This was one of my favorite books and truly a must-read.
Down Second Avenue by Es’kia Mphahlele was nominated for the Nobel Prize in 1969. Mphahlele’s experience growing up in segregated South Africa. Vivid, graceful, and unapologetic, it details a daily life of severe poverty and brutal police surveillance under the subjugation of an apartheid regime. It was banned in South Africa when it was released in 1959.
Best South Africa Travel Guide Books
It goes without saying that Lonely Planet has the ultimate travel book guide to South Africa. We were gifted the book by another one of my best friends when we left DC to help us prep for all the South African adventures we would have. I regularly crack open the book to see what new area to visit. Also, check out Bradt’s Highlight Guide.
Happy reading, peeps!