Updated version, July 2023.
South Africa is simply magnificent. So far, I
drove 65,000 kilometres through Southern Africa. At times, I drove all the way to
Namibia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe (only to Victoria Falls). I start all my road
trips in Cape Town. I have seen where Rooibos tea grows. I learned about the
importance of biodiversity. I visited many of South Africa’s National Parks,
and the last true wilderness of the country, the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park.
I fell in love with penguins. I got sandblasted by the infamous South Easter
and got to know the tablecloth. I jumped into the icy cold Atlantic, if only briefly.
65,000 kilometres of adventure and joy. Do you wonder how I know how many
kilometres I did so far? My secret is that I write it all down. There is still
so much I would love to see. It feels as if I will never have the time to
experience and see everything I dream about. If I can’t go there, I read. I go on a Verbatim Journey.
Books – Reading - Education
Nelson Mandela said that “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” I can only agree. The more we know the better. The more we read the better.
Nothing in this world is ever black and white. The more we educate ourselves the better life gets. You can have an opinion on something only when you gather enough information first. How else can you understand what is going on around you? When I visit a place, I like to read about it. Not only the papers and facts but also fiction, prose, and even cookbooks. I read and browse about everything and everyone to get the bigger picture. If I mix this information with the ones getting from talking to people in South Africa, I feel well prepared. I can build an opinion and can participate in a discussion. I can’t stand empty words thrown into thin air just to say something.
What are you about to discover on location in South Africa?
One day, I was at Daunton in London. You know this pretty Edwardian bookstore on Marylebone High Street. One of the prettiest bookshops ever. I realized I have an awful lot of books about South Africa. There wasn’t a single book about South Africa in their travel section that I hadn’t on my bookshelf. I love reading. I love South Africa. After I got over my happy nerdy moment, I put together my reading list for South Africa. These books saved me from being ignorant on my travels to South Africa. Right. Not everyone who plans a two-week trip to South Africa will read all recommended books before heading out there. The list of books gives you a choice and you might get inspired. The books and stories definitely give you a good first taste of what you are about to discover on location in South Africa. In times when we cannot travel, we can always go on a Verbatim Journey to South Africa.
All books are tried and tested
by me. Word of warning: If you read all of these and travel to South Africa you
will lose your heart to this place forever. There are no links to giant online
book buying platforms.
Make sure you are not responsible for the death of your local bookshop
Please buy all books from your local bookshop. No one wants to live in a town centre without independent shops. It is in our hands. Each one of us can vote with our purse. There is no need to support online giants when every one of us can support their own community. You won't find any links in this article to online shops. These book recommendations are purely made out of love for reading and travelling and understanding different cultures. Make sure you are not responsible for the death of your local bookshop. It sounds drastic, but let's face it, it is true. Support local.
Go on a Verbatim Journey - 69 books that transport you directly to South Africa
1. 491 Days by Winnie Madikizela by Mandela
2. A City Imagined by Stephen Watson
3. A Dry White Season by André Brink
4. A Thousand Tales of Johannesburg A City Novel by Harry Kalmer
5. Africa the legends live on by Jan Roderigues
6. Beethoven was one by sixteenth black by Nadine Gordimer
7. Before Mandela was Mandela by Eric Miyeni
8. Begging to be black by Antjie Kroog
9. Blood Safari by Deon Meyer
10. Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
11. Cape Town Stories by Madeleine Barnard
12. Childhood by Adrian Hadland
13. Cobra by Deon Meyer
14. Come Sunday by Isla Morley
15. Cry the beloved country by Alan Paton
16. Dark Star Safari by Paul Theroux
17. Dead before Dying by Deon Meyer
18. Disgrace by J.M. Coetzee
19. Down 2nd Avenue by Es'kia Mphahlele
20. Dreamforest by Dalene Matthee
21. Fiela's Child by Dalene Matthee
22. From Aardvark to Zebra. Secrets of African Wildlife by Peter Joyce
23. From Joburg to Jozi. Stories about Africa’s infamous city - Edited by Heidi Holland and Adam Roberts
24. Gang Town by Don Pinnock
25. Gem Squash Tokoloshe by Rachel Zadok
26. I am Ella - A remarkable story of survival, from Auschwitz to Africa by Joanne Jowell
27. In the Heart of the Country by J.M. Coetzee
28. In the words of Nelson Mandela by A little pocketbook
29. Into Africa by Martin Dugard
30. Johannesburg by Fiona Melrose
31. July's People by Nadine Gordimer
32. Karoo Boy by Troy Blacklaws
33. Karoo Keepsakes by Julienne du Toit and Chris Marais
34. Karoo Kitchen by Sydda Essop
35. Khayelitsha by Steven Otter
36. Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela
37. Long Way Down by Ewan McGregor, Charley Boorman
38. Martha by Winnie Rust
39. Modern South African Stories by Stephen Gray (edited by)
40. My Son's Story by Nadine Gordimer
41. On the Other Side of Shame by Joanne Jowell
42. Panorama by Pieter Dyrk Uys
43. Philida by André Brink
44. Postcards from Soveto by Mokone Molete
45. Praying Mantis by André Brink
46. Recipes for Love and Murder – A Tannie Maria Mystery by Sally Andrew
47. Red Dust by Gillian Slovo
48. Return to Paradise by Breyten Breytenbach
49. Sala Kahle, District Six by Nomvuyo Ngcelwane
50. Sea Mountain, Fire City by Mike Nicol
51. Somewhere Over the Rainbow by Gavin Bell
52. Sorry, not Sorry by Haji Mohamed Dawjee
53. South Africa. A traveler’s literary companion by Edited by Isabel Balseiro
54. South African Fact Book by Denise Slabbert, Pat Hopkins, Jabulile Bongiwe Ngwenya
55. The Covenant by James A Michener
56. The Day I Died by Thembelani Ngenelwa
57. The Healing Land by Rupert Isaacson
58. The Lost World of the Kalahari by Van der Post
59. The Madonna of Excelsior by Zakes Mda
60. The Only Black at a Dinner Party by Eric Miyeni
61. The Satanic Mechanic – A Tannie Maria Mystery by Sally Andrew
62. The State of Africa by Martin Meredith
63. The Wilderness Family by Kobie Kruger
64. Troublemakers by Margaret Renn, Anton Harber
65. The Promise by Damon Galgut
66. Death on the Limpopo by Sally Andrew
67. Milk Tart Murders by Sally Andrew
68. For You I’d Steal a Goat by Niq Mhlongo
69. ‘Buckingham Palace’, District Six by Richard Rive
South Africa on film
Films to watch before you visit South Africa.
What can you see and do in South Africa?
Travel South Africa. Knysna Travel Guide for First Time Visitors.
UNESCO Heritage listed De Hoop Nature Reserve - Guide for First Time Visitors.
Attractive Coastal Towns in the Western Cape Province.
12 photos that make you desperately fall in love with South Africa.
Knysna and Dolphins: Eco-labelled Marine Boat Cruise.
Creative South Africa. Beautiful things you would want to buy on vacation in Cape Town.
9 Best Malaria-Free National Parks In South Africa.
Travel South Africa. Visiting a Rooibos Tea Farm inthe Western Cape.
Discover the Zambezi Region: Road Trip South Africa- Namibia - Botswana.
Travel South Africa: 8 magnificent things to do inthe Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park.
From Berlin with love