Litnet

"Morafe: Person, family and nation in colonial Bechuanaland, 1880s-1950s is a landmark achievement. Khumisho Moguerane has written a history that matters for our time by filling the lacunae in southern African historiography."

"These issues are not unique to Johannesburg, Cape Town and the other big cities (metros), but are very relevant in all municipalities."

"As associations representing writers who contribute to and are dependent on the arts and culture eco-system that these festivals serve, we see the arbitrary and sudden withdrawal of government support as damaging and ill advised."

"The moment it starts feeling like a lecture, you’ve lost the audience. The key is to create compelling characters who want something and who drive the story forward. If the drama is truthful and the characters are engaging, the history or the message comes through naturally."

"It is always evident when directors have properly supported their cast in realising and portraying fully formed characters. This production is one in which it shows."

JM Coetzee: "I am a lighter – a more light-hearted – and a better person in Afrikaans."

"They could tell us of legends
of times long past
Of love, life and laughter
echoed in a universe vast..."

"It was a pleasant reminder that there is an entire world out there that believes in African stories enough to give us two weeks to hammer out our plots and characters, vivify our paper worlds and bring them fully to life."

After a triumphant national tour, SboNdaba Dance returns to the Western Cape with its acclaimed production In search of our humanity. This homecoming performance at the Toyota Stellenbosch Woordfees offers local audiences a rare chance to experience the company’s powerful artistry and storytelling. Praised for its striking choreography and evocative soundscapes, the production showcases the raw physicality of SboNdaba’s dancers.

Over the past two decades, Malema has leveraged his growing political clout to bankroll his party and amass a personal fortune. In this revealing book, investigative journalists Micah Reddy and Pauli van Wyk follow the money, demonstrating how Malema built his fiefdom. 

"A town not in a hurry.
Architecture whispers
like a scene from a Victorian film."

"China’s Global Security Initiative (GSI) is designed to enhance China’s geostrategic position through coalition-building with partners that align with Chinese principles regarding international security and domestic law enforcement. Introduced by President Xi Jinping in 2022, the GSI represents one among several initiatives intended to reshape global governance structures in a manner favourable to China’s resurgence as a major power."

"All I saw was this one word: Rejected. My eyes blurred, and I couldn’t even read further to see why."

"Things are not what they seem, and this book gave me more insights about the conundrums we face as a society in a gentler way than receiving a blow to the head."

The Caine Prize for African Writing is delighted to announce that Zimbabwean writer NoViolet Bulawayo has been awarded the 2025 Best of Caine Award for her short story, "Hitting Budapest". Marking the Prize’s 25th anniversary, the Best of Caine Award is an honorary prize celebrating the most outstanding winning story from the Prize’s 25 year history.

The South African Literary Awards (SALA) proudly mark their 20th anniversary in 2025, a historic milestone that coincides with South Africa’s Heritage Month this September.

"I am from extraordinary ancestral cloth, woven from true love and kindness.
Childhood laughter a song I still hear."

"I would describe my story as magical realism, because I am integrating fantastical elements into a realistic setting to help me reflect upon economic and cultural power."

"In other words, we are experiencing a new constriction, a new closing down of possibilities, and once again, I believe, younger writers and younger poets and younger troublemakers and younger Middle World-people must rise up and start fighting to open that path."

For those drawn to storytelling through song, this promises an evocative, enriching night of lyrical exploration with some wonderful poetic voices. Listen to a recording of Brett Bailey, elaborating on the fascinating performances coming up at Spier.