South Africa is a fascinating country full of incredible wildlife, stunning landscapes, and delicious food – if you’ve ever had a braai on a hot Sunday? Then you haven’t lived the true life of a South African!
It’s also a country with a history that is both shocking and important. Many of the historical events that shaped the country didn’t happen that long ago, and in some ways, the country is still living in the shadows of its past.
That is why it’s incredibly important you brush yourself up on its history and culture before visiting, so you can visit being aware of the societal issues that are still ongoing.
One of the best ways to do that is to immerse yourself in an inspiring book about South Africa. Whether you’re looking for an enlightening non-fiction novel or a gripping tale of historical fiction, these are the best South African books you must read today!
Non-Fiction Books About South Africa
We begin our list with non-fiction books about South Africa. These books will not only teach you about the history and the culture of the past but of modern-day societal issues that might be useful to know before visiting South Africa.
Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah
Perhaps one of South Africa’s biggest comedians and celebrities is Trevor Noah. Born a Crime is a heartfelt biography of the early years of this comedian’s life, growing up in apartheid South Africa, and the path he rode down to become the presenter of The Daily Show.
But his life wasn’t easy. Trevor explains how he spent most of his childhood indoors, due to the punishable union of his parents – a black Xhosa mother and his white Swiss father. Sometimes, the measures his mother took to hide him were extreme.
By the end of South Africa’s white rule, Trevor and his mother were finally able to live life in freedom and embrace new opportunities and adventures.
Born a Crime is a true story, of a deprived young boy who struggled to find his place in the world, to become an internationally recognised celebrity. The stories are sometimes hilarious, sometimes harrowing. But this New York Times Bestseller successfully makes you feel something.
Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandella
Most people in the world are aware of Nelson Mandella, the former South African president and anti-apartheid activist. His memoir, Long Walk to Freedom, is a moving and enlightening autobiography. It’s said to be one of the finest memoirs by any political leader in the world.
But Nelson Mandela did not have an easy life. In this memoir, he recounts the many struggles and setbacks, as well as his renewed faith which led to some of his biggest triumphs.
He writes about his fight against racial oppression in South Africa, which went on to win him the Nobel Peace Prize and the presidency of his country.
He also spent 25 years of imprisonment, which inspired people to rise up against political oppression. Long Walk to Freedom is the journey of a man who is seen as the driving force in a global fight for racial equality.
My Traitor’s Heart: A South African Exile Returns to Face His Country, His Tribe, and His Conscience by Rian Malan
My Traitors Heart is a highly acclaimed non-fiction novel about South Africa that tells the story of Rian Malan, an Afrikaner and journalist who returns to South Africa to uncover racial prejudice in murder cases.
It has been eight years since he was exiled from South Africa, but he returns with new insight and clarity and has begun to unravel the many years of the cruelty and suffering throughout the apartheid’s legacy.
My Traitor’s Heart brings to light the extensive physical and emotional trauma that South Africans had faced. As a white South African, Malan tells of how he found redemption and healing after acknowledging what went wrong eight years ago.
It’s an international bestseller and beautifully written, though also horrifyingly profound.
A History of South Africa by Frank Welsh
South Africa has had a turbulent history. Its history is usually hostile and contains a lot of prejudice and ignorance.
Though South Africans have lived in these lands long before the first European settlers arrived in the 17th century, this was considered the turning point to when everything began to change.
For many decades, two cultures have uneasily co-existed, and when these immigrants landed, they bought with them a mixture of feelings. Some of those feelings can still be felt today, even after the eradication of apartheid.
In A History of South Africa, Frank Welsh explains how a racially mixed society and recent political upheavals have shaped the country today.
Jock of the Bushveld by Sir James Percy Fitzpatrick
Originally published in 1907, Jock of the Bushveld is a classic children’s book that has been loved by South African children for generations.
It follows the adventures of Fitzpatrick and his dog, Jock, a Staffordshire Bull Terrier, while he worked as a transport rider during the Transvaal Gold Rush in South Africa. Though it’s written in a fictional style, it is actually a true story based on the life of the author, James Percy Fitzpatrick.
The beloved children’s tale was also made into a film in 1986 starring Jonathan Rands as Percy Fitzpatrick.
Fiction Books About South Africa
South Africa may not be the most well-known producer of award-winning novelists, but that’s not to say there aren’t any!
From Nobel prize-winning authors to Booker Prize-winning authors, these are the best fiction books about South Africa you must read before visiting.
Burger’s Daughter by Nadine Gordimer
Burger’s Daughter is the moving story of Rosa Burger, a 26-year-old woman from South Africa who learns to find her place in the world after losing both her parents. It was written by Nadine Gordimer, a South African novelist who was the winner of the 1991 Nobel Prize in Literature.
Rosa’s parents were anti-apartheid activists in the 1970s, but Rosa has always learned to do as she is told. But as Rosa begins to understand more about the world around her and understands her place in it, like her parents, she too picks up the mantle to rise up against oppression.
According to the author, Burger’s Daughter was written to tell the story of “hard-core white Leftists” and their role during the apartheid. Though it’s historical fiction, it was inspired by some true events.
Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton
Cry, the Beloved Country is a political fiction novel, first published in 1948. It was an immediate worldwide bestseller and has been highly regarded as one of the most important pieces of black literature worldwide. It was also selected by Ophrah Winfrey’s Book Club.
It tells the important story of Zulu pastor Stephen Kumalo, a black man living in a country under white man’s law. Kumalo and his son, Absalom, speak of racial injustice, of love, hope, courage and endurance.
Alan Paton’s writing style is soft, sometimes poetic, but the story he tells has a deep, often harrowing and thought-provoking message. It’s a fictional story based on real-life struggles faced by black citizens of South Africa during this period.
The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay
Set in 1939, when Hitler and his armies cast a shadow over the world, and the seeds of apartheid are planted in South Africa, there lived a five-year-old boy called Peekay.
Throughout his childhood, he is humiliated and abused by the other children at his boarding school. He misses his black nanny terribly (Peekay is white and English) and his mother, who was sent away after suffering a nervous breakdown.
As time moves on, Peekay becomes wiser and smarter. He’s open-minded and has a positive mental attitude. Eventually, he develops meaningful friendships with his teachers and peers, and his biggest accomplishment is learning to read.
The Power of One is an emotive story that tells the history of South Africa through the eyes of a child. It’s a poetically written account of historical fiction.
Disgrace by J.M. Coetzee
Disgrace is a Booker Prize-winning novel by South African-born author, J.M. Coetzee. It tells a story of how a University Professor, David Lurie, was engaged in a stalkerish affair with a student, Melanie Isaacs, who later files a complaint against him and he loses his job.
Feeling like all hope is lost, he moves in with his daughter, Lucy, in the remote town of Salem in the Eastern Cape. As he starts to find a new place in his life with his daughter, a nightmare ensues when their home is attacked by two strange men. From then on, everything seems to continue to fall apart.
Despite what the title suggests, Disgrace is a novel about redemption and building relationships. It touches on themes of representation of race, gender, and the use of power to control someone.
It has some scenes of violence, suffering and hate, but the overall storyline is powerful and emotive.
Coconut by Kopano Matlwa
Another award-winning novel set in South Africa is Coconut, by Kopano Matlwa. It is the debut novel by the South African author and it also won her the European Union Literary Award.
It’s a literary account of life growing up black in white suburbs in South Africa after the end of the apartheid. It’s the true perception of what black South Africans consider important in order to survive and prosper in the “New South Africa”. It is a story of self discovery and finding one’s place in society.
Though it is fiction, many black South African women say they can relate to this novel, and how it feels growing up as a woman of colour in South Africa.
Final Word on Books About South Africa
That concludes our guide to the best books about SA, and as you can see, there’s a lot to learn about its history and culture in the pages of these literary gems.
If you’re visiting South Africa anytime soon or thinking of a trip in the future, allow these books to be your ultimate resource for learning about its history and way of life, so you know what to expect before visiting.
Happy reading!
Author: Louisa Smith of Epic Book Society.
Louisa is an avid reader and traveller from Devon, UK. Many years ago, Louisa was caught in the rat race, working her way up to become a well-paid Company Director. One day, upon reading a travel book, she decided to pack it all in, sell all her things, hop over her garden fence, and set off on a world of adventure. Years later, Louisa is still on the road where she writes about book recommendations on her book blog, Epic Book Society – a place where book lovers can find their own inspirational books that will change their lives for the better.
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I LOVE reading and had never thought about reading books like this prior to visiting a country. I love reading books based in Paris due to my love of Paris, but I totally need to read about other places! This is such a smart idea!