Are you planning a trip to the southern end of the African continent? Then be sure to check out some of these great books about South Africa!

Books About South Africa

South Africa is a nation that is nearly impossible to understand without being a native. With 11 national languages and countless different cultures, everyone has a different perspective. And in essence, that is the story of this nation at the end of the world – a country trying to figure out how to unite so many disparate pieces. Nearly every book touches on South Africa’s struggles between the races, but from a different viewpoint depending on the author. I’ve tried to include a little bit of everything from everyone – Nelson Mandela’s memoir, an overview of the nation’s history, novels from prominent white South African authors, to name a few.

While there are countless more stories from and about this beautiful, complicated country, these are some of the best books about South Africa to read if you’re planning on visiting.

Non-Fiction

Born a Crime

Popular late-night comedian Trevor Noah is one of South Africa’s most famous natives. But his story is an unusual one. Neither white nor black, Trevor grew up with a foot in both worlds without truly belonging in either.

When Trevor was born, the union between his white Swiss father and black Xhosa mother was technically illegal. This meant that his mother kept Trevor indoors for most of his childhood, keeping him out of sight of the government who might take him away if they knew he existed. After Apartheid fell, he was able to live more freely, going to school and work and roaming South Africa’s townships (like Soweto), and attending church with his devoutly Christian mother.

Born a Crime is the true story of a young man navigating a confusing world defined by race, dealing with the difficult home dynamics of a dynamite mother determined to save her son from the cycle of abuse and poverty that she herself was caught in. It’s an insightful look into not only the childhood of an extremely successful American immigrant but also the cultural realities of post-Apartheid South Africa. It’s one of the most relevant books about South Africa to read to understand the current situation better.

Purchase Born a Crime

Long Walk to Freedom

If there’s one thing people know about South Africa, it’s that nation’s struggle with legally mandated segregation (Apartheid) and the man who helped end it – Nelson Mandela.

Long Walk to Freedom is Mandela’s autobiography which sketches the story of his as a young black boy raised in the traditional culture of his tribal ancestors who then had to learn to navigate the modern world working in a firm in Johannesburg. Mandela talks about his family struggles, from the breakup of his first marriage to the difficulties of being separated from his kids.

He recounts the rising political warfare in the 1950s between the African National Congress (which he would later lead as President) and the government. And he also, of course, talks about his twenty-seven years as a political prisoner and the complex negotiations that led to his freedom and. The memoir traces how Mandela’s early struggles in the oppressive apartheid regime developed into his life long pursuit end the racial discrimination that had so long marred his country.

Mandela is one of the most consequential figures in modern history and knowing his story is critical to understanding South Africa. Though a bit of a lengthy tome, this is certainly one of the most important books about South Africa to read to know more about the country’s political situation.

Purchase Long Walk to Freedom

 Playing the Enemy

Although Nelson Mandela was elected president over South Africa in 1994, In the country’s first free election, he knew that there was far more work to be done to heal the racial tensions in the country. What better way than to use sports, specifically rugby, to do that?

Playing the Enemy by journalist John Carlin is the true story of Mandela’s audacious plan to use the national rugby team, the Springboks, to bring the people of South Africa together around a common cause. For decades, the all-white Springbok team had been a symbol of white supremacy, with fans often singing racist fight songs during games. Blacks would come to their matches only to root for whatever team they were playing against. But as South Africa was set to host the World Cup in 1995, Mandela believed that that was the perfect time for the team to embody the new South Africa.

As the Springboks’ won match after match, to the surprise of most South Africans, people throughout the nation became glued to their TV sets. South Africans of every color began cheering them. When they won the championship match against New Zealand, their victory was seen as one that transcended a mere sporting competition to one that united a nation divided by hatred for so long.

Also depicted in the Matt Damon movie Invictus, the story of the 1995 World cup makes for one of the most uplifting books about South Africa.

Purchase Playing the Enemy

A Brief History of South Africa

If you’re looking for a quick and easily digestible guide to South Africa’s history, this is the book for you.

A Brief History of South Africa begins from the earliest times, the days when various tribes were the only ones who called this place home. It then goes through the arrival of the Europeans and the colonization period as well as the bloody the Boer Wars between the Dutch and the British. It walks through the struggle to overcome Apartheid and ends during the modern day presidency. It’s not meant to be comprehensive, but is instead one of the easiest history books about South Africa if you just want an overview.

Purchase A Brief History of South Africa

Lonely Planet South Africa

If you’re looking for a guidebook to help plan your trip, one of the best on the market is Lonely Planet’s Guide to South Africa, Eswatini, and Lesotho.

Lonely Planet does an excellent job of providing all the general info that you need to know for visiting South Africa and its landlocked neighbor countries, Eswatini and Lesotho. It was published in 2022, so is up-to-date regarding which businesses are open post-COVID. It has various colorful and detailed maps and suggested itineraries tailored to the kind of trip that you want to take. It gives honest budgets for all the activities, hotels, and restaurants that you might be interested and includes operating hours for public transportation. It evens gives important cultural insights that will make navigating the country easier.

But the best part about Lonely Planet is that not only do they provide all of the comprehensive Information that you’d want, but they also suggest off-the-beaten path and lesser known destinations and activities. This is definitely one of the books about South Africa that you’ll want to pack in your suitcase.

Purchase Lonely Planet’s Guide to South Africa, Eswatini, and Lesotho

The Great Penguin Rescue

This one is written for the kiddos but will delight all ages! South Africa is famous for being a warm weather place that is also home to several colonies of African penguins. These are remarkable birds – tiny in size, they spend most of their lives in the open ocean, dodging all sorts of dangerous predators. They also mate for life. Their cute, waddling personalities are delightful to everyone who gets to see them.

But the African penguin is also endangered. This book is all about the conservation efforts of the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB) to save them from extinction. That includes raising orphaned chicks, hatching abandoned eggs, and finding and protecting new colonies. This is a great book for the whole family to learn both about African penguins in general as well as the extraordinary lengths people are going to in order to save them.

Purchase The Great Penguin Rescue

Fiction

Cry, The Beloved Country

Alan Paton’s novel about racial injustice became an immediate worldwide bestseller when it was published in 1948. Published initially in the United States, it put an international spotlight on what was happening in South Africa.

Cry, The Beloved Country is the story of a Zulu pastor, Stephen Kumalo, who must travel from rural South Africa to Johannesburg in order to find his son, Absalom. He eventually finds him in a jail, on trial for the murder of a white man – a man who, ironically (and much like Paton himself), cared deeply about the native population of South Africa and advocated for change until his untimely death.

The novel shows the brutal oppression of apartheid, but it also shows the best of human nature as the father of the victim and Stephen go on their own journeys to understand the circumstances that brought them together. Its an unflinching portrayal of South Africa’s past, but also offers hope for the future. While that future, one free of apartheid, has long since arrived, this is still an important book to understand why South Africa’s history. It’s one of the greatest books about South Africa, renowned both for its lyricism and its enduring themes of love and human dignity.

Purchase Cry, The Beloved Country

Gallows Hill (Margie Orford)

Cape Town’s Gallows Hill was once the site of the city’s public executions. Hundreds of centuries’ old skeletons have been found there. So when Dr. Clare Hart finds a young women who was recently buried there in a green sillk dress, she has all sorts of questions. Why was she buried there? Who put her there? How did she die? Who was she? As Clare’s investigation digs deeper, she becomes entangled with a fascinating young women and is drawn into the world of art and destructive jealousy.

While Gallows Hill Is a modern day crime thriller set in South Africa’s idyllic Cape Town, focused on the untimely murder of a young woman, it also delves into the city’s clash of cultures and all the problems that come with that. It’s one of the most fun yet suspenseful fiction books about South Africa to read before a trip.

Purchase Gallows Hill

The Power of One

The Power of One is the story of a young boy in World War II-era South Africa who dreams of becoming a boxing champion but must overcome the power of division and prejudice to do so.

Peekay was born and raised in rural South Africa, but was sent to an English boarding school. There, his classmates bully him for his Boer heritage. After enough malicious conflicts, the headmaster agrees to send Peekay to his grandfather’s home, which is a long train ride across the country. Along the way, he makes several friends, such as the train conductor who doubles as a champion doctor, and a German professor who is a former concert pianist.

The story is filled with cross-sections of South African history – the aftermath of the Boer Wars, Hitler’s rise to power, the buddings of Apartheid. And it’s all seen through the innocent eyes and endearing spirit of young Peekay. It’s a delightful, uplifting story about the common bonds of all men, regardless of background or native language. It’s one of those books about South Africa that you won’t regret picking up.

Purchase The Power of One

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