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World » Africa » South Africa

Most Recommended Books

Portrait with Keys by Ivan Vladislavic

“Ivan is the most interesting writer on modern urban South Africa. Portrait with Keys is a fictionalised set of little stories. I thought it was a memoir at first but in the book he has conversations with a nonexistent brother. So I decided to classify it as a novel. It’s called Portrait with Keys because everywhere in Johannesburg is locked up, often not just with one door, but with multiple doors. When you stay overnight in a house, they lock all the exterior doors and set the alarm, then go upstairs and lock interior doors just in case somebody breaks in downstairs. So those are the keys.”

Imraan Coovadia, Novelist

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Disgrace by J M Coetzee

“This book was written in the late 90s and although it is very difficult – especially with writers like J M Coetzee – to link the work to the man, my personal reading of the book is that it is a work of profound disappointment and sadness.”

Kevin Bloom, Journalist

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Browse book recommendations:

Africa

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Our South African coverage is focused on the transition from the Apartheid regime to a democratic one.  For a general picture Alec Russell, the Financial Times’ former Johannesburg bureau chief offers his best books on South Africa.  John Carlin, another journalist who covered the country during the transition from Apartheid to democracy gives his best books on Understanding Mandela and South Africa.  He stresses the use Mandela made of forgiveness in achieving his political objectives.  Colleen Murphy speaks at length on the country as a paradigm in her interview on her best books on Transitional Justice.

Jonny Steinberg chooses his best books on identity in the country and Kevin Bloom his best books on post-Apartheid identity in South Africa.  Justin Cartwright also looks at the country in discussing his best books on Being White in Africa.

Imraan Coovadia chooses his five best books on the country's fiction.  Daniel Norcross discusses cricket controversies during the Apartheid era and Steve Bloomfield talks about the role of football pre- and post-Apartheid in his discussion of World Football.

The journalist Heather Brooke talks about the role of newspapers in Apartheid South Africa in her best books on Holding Power to Account and  issues related to the country are also touched on by the Ghanaian economist, George Ayittey in his best books on Africa through African Eyes and by the historian David Olusoga on his best books on Race and Slavery.

The 1991 Nobel Prize in Literature was won by South African author Nadine Gordimer with the 2003  prize going to J M Coetzee. Other notable South African authors include Damon Galgut (winner of the 2021 Booker Prize) and Zakes Mda.

    The best books on Nelson Mandela and South Africa, recommended by John Carlin

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    The best books on Nelson Mandela and South Africa - The Washing of the Spears by Donald R Morris

    1

    The Washing of the Spears
    by Donald R Morris

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    The best books on Nelson Mandela and South Africa - Move Your Shadow by Joseph Lelyveld

    2

    Move Your Shadow
    by Joseph Lelyveld

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    The best books on Nelson Mandela and South Africa - Age of Iron by J M Coetzee

    3

    Age of Iron
    by J M Coetzee

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    The best books on Nelson Mandela and South Africa - Mandela by Anthony Sampson

    4

    Mandela
    by Anthony Sampson

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    The best books on Nelson Mandela and South Africa - After Mandela by Alec Russell

    5

    After Mandela
    by Alec Russell

  • The best books on Nelson Mandela and South Africa - The Washing of the Spears by Donald R Morris
  • The best books on Nelson Mandela and South Africa - Move Your Shadow by Joseph Lelyveld
  • The best books on Nelson Mandela and South Africa - Age of Iron by J M Coetzee
  • The best books on Nelson Mandela and South Africa - Mandela by Anthony Sampson
  • The best books on Nelson Mandela and South Africa - After Mandela by Alec Russell

The best books on Nelson Mandela and South Africa, recommended by John Carlin

Nelson Mandela was a most unusual and unusually astute leader, says journalist and author of Playing the Enemy, John Carlin. He chooses the best books to understand Nelson Mandela, who used forgiveness as a political tool, and South Africa, the country he brought peacefully out of apartheid.

The best books on Nelson Mandela and South Africa, recommended by John Carlin

    The Best South African Fiction, recommended by Imraan Coovadia

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    The Best South African Fiction - A World of Strangers by Nadine Gordimer

    1

    A World of Strangers
    by Nadine Gordimer

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    The Best South African Fiction - Waiting for the Barbarians by J M Coetzee

    2

    Waiting for the Barbarians
    by J M Coetzee

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    The Best South African Fiction - Welcome to Our Hillbrow by Phaswane Mpe

    3

    Welcome to Our Hillbrow
    by Phaswane Mpe

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    The Best South African Fiction - Spud by John van de Ruit

    4

    Spud
    by John van de Ruit

  • Read
    The Best South African Fiction - Portrait with Keys by Ivan Vladislavic

    5

    Portrait with Keys
    by Ivan Vladislavic

  • The Best South African Fiction - A World of Strangers by Nadine Gordimer
  • The Best South African Fiction - Waiting for the Barbarians by J M Coetzee
  • The Best South African Fiction - Welcome to Our Hillbrow by Phaswane Mpe
  • The Best South African Fiction - Spud by John van de Ruit
  • The Best South African Fiction - Portrait with Keys by Ivan Vladislavic

The Best South African Fiction, recommended by Imraan Coovadia

The South African novelist gives us an unvarnished view of the writer’s life, and explains how literature told the story of apartheid and why comedy is the easiest way to talk about race

The Best South African Fiction, recommended by Imraan Coovadia

    The best books on Identity in South Africa, recommended by Jonny Steinberg

  • Read
    The best books on Identity in South Africa - Agaat by Marlene van Niekerk

    1

    Agaat
    by Marlene van Niekerk

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    The best books on Identity in South Africa - Another Country by Karel Schoeman

    2

    Another Country
    by Karel Schoeman

  • Read
    The best books on Identity in South Africa - The Heart of Redness by Zakes Mda

    3

    The Heart of Redness
    by Zakes Mda

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    The best books on Identity in South Africa - Black Hamlet by Wulf Sachs

    4

    Black Hamlet
    by Wulf Sachs

  • Read
    The best books on Identity in South Africa - Native Nostalgia by Jacob Dlamini

    5

    Native Nostalgia
    by Jacob Dlamini

  • The best books on Identity in South Africa - Agaat by Marlene van Niekerk
  • The best books on Identity in South Africa - Another Country by Karel Schoeman
  • The best books on Identity in South Africa - The Heart of Redness by Zakes Mda
  • The best books on Identity in South Africa - Black Hamlet by Wulf Sachs
  • The best books on Identity in South Africa - Native Nostalgia by Jacob Dlamini

The best books on Identity in South Africa, recommended by Jonny Steinberg

The journalist and author discusses five books with strikingly different interpretations of what it means to be South African today, whether black or white

The best books on Identity in South Africa, recommended by Jonny Steinberg

    The best books on Post-Apartheid Identity, recommended by Kevin Bloom

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    The best books on Post-Apartheid Identity - My Traitor's Heart by Rian Malan

    1

    My Traitor's Heart
    by Rian Malan

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    The best books on Post-Apartheid Identity - Disgrace by J M Coetzee

    2

    Disgrace
    by J M Coetzee

  • Read
    The best books on Post-Apartheid Identity - Country of My Skull by Antjie Krog

    3

    Country of My Skull
    by Antjie Krog

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    The best books on Post-Apartheid Identity - Portrait with Keys by Ivan Vladislavic

    4

    Portrait with Keys
    by Ivan Vladislavic

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    The best books on Post-Apartheid Identity - Notes from the Middle World by Breyten Breytenbach

    5

    Notes from the Middle World
    by Breyten Breytenbach

  • The best books on Post-Apartheid Identity - My Traitor's Heart by Rian Malan
  • The best books on Post-Apartheid Identity - Disgrace by J M Coetzee
  • The best books on Post-Apartheid Identity - Country of My Skull by Antjie Krog
  • The best books on Post-Apartheid Identity - Portrait with Keys by Ivan Vladislavic
  • The best books on Post-Apartheid Identity - Notes from the Middle World by Breyten Breytenbach

The best books on Post-Apartheid Identity, recommended by Kevin Bloom

The award-winning South African writer Kevin Bloom discusses five books that bring light to post-apartheid South Africa with focus on the predicament of the white South African. Do whites ‘deserve’ to feel at home in their country?

The best books on Post-Apartheid Identity, recommended by Kevin Bloom

    The best books on Being White in Africa, recommended by Justin Cartwright

  • Read
    The best books on Being White in Africa - Anthills of the Savannah by Chinua Achebe

    1

    Anthills of the Savannah
    by Chinua Achebe

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    The best books on Being White in Africa - Disgrace by J M Coetzee

    2

    Disgrace
    by J M Coetzee

  • Read
    The best books on Being White in Africa - A Good Man in Africa by William Boyd

    3

    A Good Man in Africa
    by William Boyd

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    The best books on Being White in Africa - The Conservationist by Nadine Gordimer

    4

    The Conservationist
    by Nadine Gordimer

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    The best books on Being White in Africa - Mister Johnson by Joyce Cary

    5

    Mister Johnson
    by Joyce Cary

  • The best books on Being White in Africa - Anthills of the Savannah by Chinua Achebe
  • The best books on Being White in Africa - Disgrace by J M Coetzee
  • The best books on Being White in Africa - A Good Man in Africa by William Boyd
  • The best books on Being White in Africa - The Conservationist by Nadine Gordimer
  • The best books on Being White in Africa - Mister Johnson by Joyce Cary

The best books on Being White in Africa, recommended by Justin Cartwright

The award-winning novelist thinks Africans want to know how it is that white men have got their hands on all the money. He picks five books on what it means and meant to be white in Africa

The best books on Being White in Africa, recommended by Justin Cartwright

    The best books on South Africa, recommended by Alec Russell

  • Read
    The best books on South Africa - The Scramble for Africa by Thomas Pakenham

    1

    The Scramble for Africa
    by Thomas Pakenham

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    The best books on South Africa - Anatomy of a Miracle by Patti Waldmeir

    2

    Anatomy of a Miracle
    by Patti Waldmeir

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    The best books on South Africa - Playing the Enemy by John Carlin

    3

    Playing the Enemy
    by John Carlin

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    The best books on South Africa - Thabo Mbeki: The Dream Deferred by Mark Gevisser

    4

    Thabo Mbeki: The Dream Deferred
    by Mark Gevisser

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    The best books on South Africa - After the Party by Andrew Feinstein

    5

    After the Party
    by Andrew Feinstein

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    The best books on South Africa - Shades of Difference by Padraig O'Malley

    6

    Shades of Difference
    by Padraig O'Malley

  • The best books on South Africa - The Scramble for Africa by Thomas Pakenham
  • The best books on South Africa - Anatomy of a Miracle by Patti Waldmeir
  • The best books on South Africa - Playing the Enemy by John Carlin
  • The best books on South Africa - Thabo Mbeki: The Dream Deferred by Mark Gevisser
  • The best books on South Africa - After the Party by Andrew Feinstein
  • The best books on South Africa - Shades of Difference by Padraig O'Malley

The best books on South Africa, recommended by Alec Russell

World News Editor at the FT and Pulitzer Prize nominee discusses the struggles and triumphs of South Africa – the colonial scramble, the end of apartheid, Mbeki, Mandela and rugby, ANC corruption and more

The best books on South Africa, recommended by Alec Russell

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