Participants 2022
A'Eysha Kassiem
A’Eysha Kassiem is a writer and editor from Cape Town. She is a keen traveller and nomad, who has lived and worked in several countries. A storyteller at heart with an interest in African history and justice, she has 20 years’ experience as a journalist and editor managing some of South Africa’s biggest newsrooms. She has been the news editor at the Cape Times as well as at News24. She has also been editor of SA’s biggest business site, Fin24 and editor in chief of PrintWeek magazine in Dubai. During her career, she has been awarded several prestigious scholarships and is a fellow of the German-based International Journalists’ Programme and the US State Department’s International Leadership Programme, which identifies leaders in their respective fields. Her debut novel, Suitcase of Memory, has been longlisted for the 2022 national fiction award run by the National Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences.
Alistair Charles Mackay
Dr Alma-Nalisha Cele
Dr Alma-Nalisha Cele is a medical doctor working in global public health. She has a special interest in health economics and it’s relationship to the socio-economics of health, particularly in public health.
Dr Alma-Nalisha Cele is also the co-founder of The Cheeky Natives alongside Letlhogonolo Mokgoroane.
The Cheeky Natives is a literary podcast whose primary aim is to archive black literature on the continent and diaspora through critical engagement with writers and literary audiences.
Dr Alma-Nalisha Cele is passionate about the ways in which literary representation and engagement can grow the quality of dialogue and analysis in our communities.
She continually credits a strong relationship with reading and literature to her feminist, intersectional approach not only to her work in public health but also to her lived politics.
She believes that in many ways books continue to change and even save people’s lives and is passionate about ensuring access to critical engagement for wide audiences.
Dr Cele is a Mandela Washington Fellow 2019 and was named a Mail and Guardian 200 young South Africa in 2019.
Amy Heydenrych
Shame on You
The Pact
Chasing Marian
Amy Heydenrych is an author based in South Africa. Her first two novels – Shame on You, and The Pact – are thrillers that reflect the zeitgeist of our complex digital age, where the line between reality and fiction blurs.
She was named as one of the Top 200 Young South Africans, and, in addition to her full-length novels, has a body of award-winning literary fiction work including short stories and poems. By day, Amy works as a consultant for one of the world’s largest strategic consulting and innovation firms. She lives in Johannesburg, South Africa with her husband and son.
Andile Gaelesiwe
Andile grew up in a time of turmoil, not only in South Africa, but also in her family. This led her to look for her biological father who then betrayed her in the worst possible way.
In the late 1990s Andile took the music industry by storm when her first single ‘Abuti Yo’ was released.
Remembering is Andile’s fierce, and at times funny, memoir. It touches on serious issues of rape and patriarchy, but also reveals a woman with a will of steel, music in her soul, and a commitment to living to the full. Andile’s story is deeply inspirational.
Andrew Harding
ANDREW HARDING is the author of the internationally acclaimed The Mayor of Mogadishu and a foreign correspondent for BBC News. Over the past three decades he has lived and worked in the former Soviet Union, Asia, and now Africa. He has won an Emmy for his television reporting and his second book, These Are Not Gentle People, won the 2021 Sunday Times Literary Award for Non-Fiction. It was also adapted into an award-winning BBC radio and podcast series, Blood Lands.
Athambile Masola
Athambile Masola is a teacher, writer and poet. She is the founder of Asinakuthula Collective (www.asinakuthula.org), a collective of teachers and researchers interested in women’s history. She is a member of Bua-lit Language and Literacy Collective, which works on social justice in language and literacy education. She has written poetry in Xhosa, titled Ilifa (2021). She is a lecturer in the Historical Studies Department at the University of Cape Town.
Bailey Bezuidenhout
Barbara Mosima Joyce Masekela
Boitumelo Mothup
Bongani Godide
Bongani has worked for Nal’ibali since its inception as a Literacy Mentor and later a Provincial support coordinator for both Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal. Bongani has trained educators, languages advisors and school library officials with the Department of Basic Education on Reading for enjoyment. Bongani has trained Librarians in Storytelling and Reading for fun.
Bongani holds a number of certificates, he has a certificate in creative writing, and he has a certificate in Project management. Bongani continues to work with Nal’ibali on specific activities whenever the opportunity comes. He has also published two isiZulu stories for an online publication titled as Round a Fire.
Bongani Kona
Bongani Kona is a writer, editor and lecturer in the Department of History at the University of the Western Cape. His work has appeared in a variety of places including Chimurenga, Safe House: Explorations in Creative Nonfiction, The Daily Assortment of Astonishing Things and Other Stories, The Baffler and BBC Radio 4. He was awarded the Ruth First Fellowship in 2019 and shortlisted for the Caine Prize for African Writing in 2016. Most recently, he has edited Our Ghosts were Once People (2021).
Carol-Ann Davids
Carol-Ann Davids
Catherine Jarvis
Cathy Park Kelly
She is a qualified high school English teacher with an Honours in Applied Linguistics. She has worked with people from all walks of life, from teenagers and inner city artists to corporate suits and prisoners. She is also an entrepreneur who sells 3D design software to support her writing workshop addiction.
Her first book, Inside Outside, a memoir of teaching juvenile offenders awaiting trial, was quoted extensively by the (then) Minister of Correctional Services in a speech. This is the closest she ever wants to get to Parliament.
She has had non-fiction essays and short stories published in several South African magazines and anthologies. In December 2021, her second memoir, Boiling a Frog Slowly, was published by Karavan Press.
She loves how stories can crack open doors and offer seams of light in the dark.
Claire Adlam
This Might Sting a Bit is her debut novel. While it is fiction, it draws on some of her personal experiences. Claire has seen the devastating effects of addiction in its many forms.
Claire is an avid observer of society and, through her words, seeks to both entertain and share a serious message, putting the spotlight on some of the most common issues that families face today.
Clinton van der Berg
In a long career of sport journalism, he travelled extensively, reporting on the Springboks, championship boxing and Olympic Games, among others. In 2000, he was named SA Sport Writer of the Year.
He remains a keen sport and media analyst and writes on a freelance basis for several publications.
Guns and Needles is his second book and follows Chasing the Dream, his biography of Olympic champion Ryk Neethling.
Dianne Bibby
Emma Sadleir
Emma’s areas of expertise include managing the legal consequences of using social media including defamation, privacy, hate speech and intellectual property; cyberbullying and harassment; sexting and pornography offences; the disciplinary consequences of using social media; personal and brand reputation management on social media; health and social media and online safety.
Much of Emma’s work involves creating social media strategies and policies for corporates and schools, drafting social media agency agreements and providing training and workshops on social media law. Emma and her team have collectively addressed hundreds of blue-chip corporate clients and over 200,000 learners across Africa and the United Kingdom through educational talks and presentations. She also teaches media law to journalists and lawyers and lectures personal reputation management on various MBA programmes.
Emma is the co-author of two bestselling books – “Don’t Film Yourself Having Sex… And Other Legal Advice For The Age of Social Media” and “Selfies, Sexts and Smartphones: A Teenager’s Online Survival Guide”. Emma is also the co-author of the social media section of the legal textbook, “Communications Law”.
Finuala Dowling
Finuala Dowling’s writing career began over twenty years ago with the publication of a handful of poems. She went on to win the Ingrid Jonker prize and the Olive Schreiner prize for poetry as well as the MNet prize and the Herman Charles Bosman prize for her fiction. Her latest publications are Pretend You Don’t Know Me (a new and selected poetry collection first published in the UK), and the novel Okay, Okay, Okay. Finuala is a senior lecturer in the Centre for Extra-Mural Studies at UCT.
Finuala Dowling is the author of five poetry collections and six novels. She designs and teaches creative writing courses.
Fiona Snyckers
Fred Khumalo
Fred Khumalo is the author of 15 books, which include novels, short story collections and works of biography. His latest work is the novel Two Tons O’ Fun.
He has won numerous honours, including the European Union Literary Award and the Humanities and Social Sciences Award.
He holds an MA Creative Writing from Wits University, is a Nieman Fellow at Harvard University, a Fellow of the Academy of the Arts of the World (Germany), and is also a PhD (Creative Writing) candidate at the University of Pretoria. He is Adjunct Professor of African Literature at the University of South Africa.
Futhi Ntshingila
Futhi Ntshingila is a writer and researcher originally from Pietermaritzburg. She is the author of Shameless; Do Not Go Gentle, and They go to you too. Her work centres on women and marginalised communities. Futhi holds a Master’s Degree in Conflict Resolution and currently lives and works in Pretoria.
Gail Schimmel
GAIL SCHIMMEL is an admitted attorney with four degrees to her name. She is currently the CEO of the Advertising Regulatory Board. Gail has published six novels, most recently Never Tell A Lie and Two Months. She lives in Johannesburg with her husband, two children, and two very naughty dogs. Twitter | Instagram | Facebook |Blog
(Photo © Nicolise Harding)
Gigi
The book came out in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic and a time when her other businesses were taking strain. GiGi is the owner of the Lollipop Lounge, three guesthouses and the award-winning Fynbos Distillery. She and her husband split their time between Cape Town and Johannesburg with her two fur children – Bach and Bardot.
Glynis Horning
Glynis Horning is an award-winning freelance writer whose assignments have taken her from the townships of apartheid South Africa to the Rwandan refugee camps in Zaire, from the Amazon jungle to ice floes in Patagonia. Horning is the recipient of the Discovery Health Journalism Award for Best Health Consumer Reporting and Feature Writing, the Pfizer Mental Health Journalism Award and a Rosalynn Carter Fellowship for Mental Health Journalism. She was Galliova Health Writer of the Year in 2017, 2019, 2020 and 2021. Nothing could have prepared her for the loss of her son at 25. She lives in Durban with her husband Chris and son Ewan.
Gus Silber
Gus Silber is an award-winning journalist, editor, speechwriter, author, and media trainer. He holds a Masters degree in Journalism and Media Studies from Rhodes University. He has penned a number of books, covering South African socio-political satire, innovation in business, entrepreneurship, and technology.
Helen Holyoake
Helen offers a full range of Public Relations, Communications and Events campaigns with professional planning and management. With a wealth of experience, her portfolio of past campaigns and events speaks for itself together with an impressive referral list of dignitaries and organisations. Her Publicity and Communications campaigns are targeted and are focused, objective and results driven.
Helen lives in Johannesburg with her three cats.
Hwalani Mabaso
She is a Senator representing South Africa at the World Business Angels Investment Forum(WBAF) an organisation committed to collaborating globally to empower the economic development of the world by fostering innovative financial instruments for start-ups, scaleups, innovators, entrepreneurs, SMEs and to promote gender equality and women’s participation in all sectors of the world economy.
Hwalani is also a Board Member of Women in Tech® an international organization with a double mission: to close the gender gap and to help women embrace technology. The organization focuses on 4 primary areas that are a call for action: Education, Entrepreneurialism, Social Inclusion, and Science & Innovation. As an advocate for women empowerment WBAF and the Women in Tech platform aligns quite well with Hwalani ‘s goals of women inclusion, empowerment and creation of sustainable/ profitable women owned businesses.
A finalist in the Standard Bank 40 under 40 young achievers, Hwalani was listed in Mail & Guardian Women Changing South Africa. An advocate for women empowerment, Hwalani holds a Master’s Degree and is currently pursuing Doctoral Studies at the University of Pretoria with a focus on Turnaround Strategy and Entrepreneurship.
Irma Venter
Irma Venter is the Cape Town correspondent for a media company in Johannesburg. Her first book was published in 2012. She writes thrillers about strong women, interesting men and that fascinating space between right and wrong.
She loves good coffee, expensive dark chocolate, even more expensive whiskey, deserts, airports, labradors, travelling the world and any product made in South Africa.
She was born on the East Rand, matriculated in Durban and studied at the North-West University
Her best-selling novels are Skoenlapper (awarded the ATKV prize for crime fiction), Skrapnel, Sondebok, Skarlaken, Sirkus, Sondag and Sewe-en-veertig. English editions include Circus, Blue Sunday, Hard Rain and Man Down. She is the first South African writer to be published by Amazon Crossing.
Jan & Jay Roode
Flying thousands of hours in their specially modified aircraft, aerial photographers Jay and Jan Roode have spent more than a decade photographing some of the most remote and spectacular wilderness areas from above. Jay and Jan Roode’s photography has been widely published in magazines, including Africa Geographic, National Geographic Traveller, GEO, BBC Wildlife, Nature’s Best Photography, CNN, Wild Travel and United Nations Environment Programme publications. Jan and Jay Roode continue documenting Africa from the air and they offer bespoke aerial safaris, taking visitors to unique locations that they have discovered on their travels.
Jan Kohler
Living in harmony with our planet, hand-picking quality ingredients and growing a bit of your own along the way are just some of the things that have inspired her “cook-from-scratch” approach. Jan enjoys sharing her love of food with others through entertaining and food blogging. She spends hours in her kitchen developing new recipes and teaching her kids along the way. She lives in Johannesburg with her husband and 3 children.
Janine Lazarus
Janine Lazarus made her debut as one of South Africa’s finest investigative journalists back in the early 1990s. Dubbed the “Queen of Sleaze”, she embraced her reputation as a crime reporter who relished the hunt for the darkest of stories. Janine is a captivating storyteller. She lures her readers in with a tantalizing glimpse into her world, allowing them to immerse themselves in the compelling narrative.
Her vast experience on every side and angle of the media machine, has enabled herto hold various senior positions in leading national and international news houses. These include the BBC and Ulster Television (Ireland), Mnet’s Criminal Minds docu-drama series, the SABC, Radio 702 and an array of leading newspapers.
These days Janine heads up a successful specialist communication and media training agency.
Her work in the mainstream media as an investigative journalist, radio talk show host, television presenter and researcher/producer has provided the perfect platform for her to work with and coach some of the best in the business across all sectors, including fellow reporters, political leaders, public relations practitioners and executives of blue-chip multinationals.
Her clients describe her as dynamic, agile and straight-forward, and her training methodology as ‘no holds barred’ From assisting corporates to navigate through a media meltdown, to mentoring and coaching CEOs and training employees at JSE-listed organisations – Janine is master of all.
Jen Thorpe
Her first novel, The Peculiars (2016), was long listed for the Etisalat Prize for Literature (2016) and the Sunday Times Fiction Prize (2017). Her second novel, The Fall (2020) was long listed for the CNA Sunday Times Fiction Prize (2021). She has published two children’s story books – My Inside Weather (Book Dash, 2017) and Look Up (Book Dash 2021).
Thorpe has edited three collections of feminist essays – My First Time: Stories of Sex and Sexuality from Women Like You (Modjaji Books, 2012); Feminism Is: South Africans Speak Their Truth (Kwela, 2018) and Living While Feminist (Kwela, 2020).
Her short stories have been published via BooksLive, Itch, Poetry Potion, Jalada, Litro, Fresh.Ink, Omenana, and Everyday Journal. Links to all of these works can be found via her website.
Thorpe has a Master’s Degree in Politics with Distinction (Rhodes University) and a Master’s Degree in Creative Writing (University of Cape Town). By day she works as a gender analyst to try and advance a more socially just and gender equitable world. She lives in Cape Town with her husband, son, and two cats.
Joanne Joseph
Joanne is a well-respected freelance TV and radio broadcaster and author who has had a presence in the media for 25 years. She has presented Talk Radio 702’s Afternoon Drive slot, the 4pm-6pm ‘Afternoon News’ slot on 24-hour news channel, eNCA and current affairs radio show, The Power Update on Power FM. Prior to this she was the main anchor and a bulletin writer on SABC 3’s “News at 7’. She began her career at YFM radio as a news presenter radio in 1998. Following that, she worked at Classic FM, Network Radio News and Business Day as a producer/presenter. In 1998, she took up the position of producer/presenter at SABC Africa. Joanne has scripted several corporate videos for clients like Afrox and produced documentaries for the United Nations Development Programme among others. She has done several high-profile live broadcasts including the live coverage of Nelson Mandela’s passing broadcast internationally, Thabo Mbeki’s presidential inauguration, the Walter Sisulu and Beyers Naudé funerals. Joanne regularly MCs corporate functions in English and French and has presented corporate videos for Life Healthcare, MTN and several others. Since the onset of COVID-19, she has hosted webinars for a range of clients. As a media trainer, her clients include Nedbank, IBM and Gauteng Tourism. In 2021, Joanne produced and co-presented the Exclusive Books show, Cover to Cover. Joanne teaches presenting and scriptwriting for broadcast media. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Drama, Film and English, her Honours and Master’s Degree in Modern Languages, Literatures and Media from Wits University. She is currently in the midst of a PhD at Wits. Joanne is the author of two South African bestselling books, Drug Muled, Sixteen Years in a Thai Prison (non-fiction) and most recently the historical fiction novel, Children of Sugarcane which will be released internationally in May 2022.
Joe Parkinson
Originally from Devon, he has reported from more than forty countries, and has won numerous international awards
John Marnell
Junior & Niko Kirkinis
Daveyton-born Junior Khanye always dreamt of making it big in football. Scouted to Kaizer Chiefs at just 17, his dream seemed within reach. With his dribbling and goal scoring prowess, Junior was the darling of the nation. But then his self-destructive behaviour sees him kicked off the team … Trying to pick himself up, Junior cycled between poverty and prosperity, sometimes getting it right, but often deeply disappointing those who loved him most. This book, with its wealth of stories from both on and off the pitch, tells of the making of a soccer sensation. Junior shares his experience of poverty, the death of his brother, soccer stardom, alcoholism, the murder of his father, and raising children, with great honesty. Much more than a sports biography, Ghetto Ninja is Junior Khanye’s tragic, yet triumphant story. It is impossible to put down.
Nikolaos Kirkinis
Nikolaos Kirkinis is the author of The Curse of Teko Modise, a well-celebrated title. His second book, Strike a Rock – The Thembi Kgatlana Story was selected for the 2021 Exclusive Books Homebru promotion. He has an honors degree in International Studies. Kirkinis has worked as a journalist for Soccer Laduma. He lives in Johannesburg.
Karen Jennings
Karen Jennings is a South African author. She has published five works of fiction (Finding Soutbek, Away from the Dead, Travels with my Father, Upturned Earth and An Island – which was longlisted for the 2021 Booker Prize) as well as a collection of poetry, Space Inhabited by Echoes. In 2022 she commenced a postdoctoral fellowship affiliated with the Biography of an Uncharted People project at Stellenbosch University in South Africa.
Karen Theunissen
Law, LLB and LLM degrees. She practices her writing by blogging on a regular basis under the style of Mumziboo. Karen writes to ignite the imagination, creativity and curiosity of young children. Her writing is inspired by her four young daughters and their quest to discover the world around them. Karen lives in Johannesburg with her husband and daughters. This is her second book.
Kate Sidley
As a co-writer, collaborator and ghostwriter, Kate has written four books for South African and international publishers, including Uncaptured, The true account of the Nenegate/Trillian whistleblower with Mosilo Mothepu (Penguin Random House, 2021), and other best-selling and high profile works.
Under the name Katie Gayle, in partnership with Gail Schimmel, she writes the series The Epiphany Bloom mysteries for a UK publisher. Katie Gayle’s new series, the The Julia Bird mysteries, launches in May 2022.
KC Rottok Chesaina
KC Rottok Chesaina is an award-winning chartered accountant and entrepreneur with a master’s degree in Commerce. He is a former partner of international audit firm RSM and founder of The African Professional Magazine and The SA Professional Services Awards. A fellow of the Bloomberg Media Initiative, Chesaina currently serves as a financial reporting advisor at W.consulting.
Kim Potgieter
She believes that you cannot plan for your money without planning for your life first and advocates that life planning is an integral part of financial planning. This allows her clients to live their best possible lives by aligning their money with purpose and meaning.
As Director and Head of Life Planning at Chartered Wealth Solutions, she able to combine her two passions: helping people with their relationship with money and guiding clients to get the most life from their money in their second chapter.
As an author, Kim has written three eBooks and two books, Retiremeant – get more meaning for your money (2015), and her latest, Midlife Money Makeover (2021). Her message is clear; by understanding your relationship with money, you can begin to shift your mindset to create positive and powerful transitions.
Kim is an inspirational speaker and active media personality and is regularly invited to speak at events. Using her Money, Meaning, Mindshift approach, she shifts individuals and groups to pay attention to their lives and give intention to their money.
As a voracious learner, Kim is a Registered Financial Life Planner, a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® professional, an accredited ICF
(International Coaching Federation) Professional Coach, a Dare to LeadTM Facilitator and a New Money Story® Mentor Coach. Her Industrial and Clinical Psychology degrees further enable her to assist clients with their relationship with money and changing money habits that don’t serve them.
Kim has literally travelled the world meeting with visionaries and mentors to bring to her clients new ideas and insight on how to design a life that they’re excited to live and, making sure that money is where it needs to be – as a friend, not a foe. “Money is meant to enable you to live the life you dream of having,” says Kim.
Kim is passionate about empowering people to give intention to their money and live with purpose, on purpose.
“When it comes to money. Be inspired. Be brave. Be on purpose.”
Lisa-Anne Julien
Lisa-Anne Julien hails from the Caribbean twin-island of Trinidad and Tobago. After studying dance in New York, she completed her Masters Degree in Social Policy at the London School of Economics before moving to SA to work as a development consultant. Lisa-Anne received a Highly Commended award in the 2009 Commonwealth Short Story Competition. Her writing residencies include Femrite Women’s Writers in Uganda and the Yale Writers Conference. Her manuscript of If You Save Me was long-listed in the UK Mslexia First Novel Competition before being published by Kwela Books in 2021.
Lisa Palmer
Lisa was appointed to be the Head of Brescia House Senior School in 2004 and served there until 2007 when she moved to take up the position of Head of Kingsmead College, where she has been for the past 15 years.
Lisa’s passion is interacting with people and educating adolescents and she loves to read whenever she can. She loves learning new things and is a firm believer in the growth mindset approach. Her hobbies include playing tennis and gardening.
Lebohang Mazibuko
Lebo Mazibuko is a performing artist and author who recently launched her debut novel titled Bantu Knots. Her introduction into the arts began when she specialized in drama at the National School of the Arts where she matriculated with a distinction in Drama in 2007. She then went on to further her studies at The Tshwane University of Technology where she graduated with a B-Tech in Drama. Lebo has performed extensively in a number of theatre shows, and has also done television, short films as well as commercials. She is a poet who has graced many stages, including performances at the Union Buildings, the Durban ICC for President Cyril Ramaphosa and the national memorial service for the nation’s mother, Winnie Madikizela Mandela to name a few.
Lebo describes herself as a storyteller who has a passion for telling South African stories but more especially stories that hold women at the core.
Lorraine Sithole
Lorato Trok
Lorato worked as a publishing programme manager for six years at Room to Read South Africa, an American-based INGO. One of the books she published for Room to Read won a prestigious UNICEF Best ECD publication in 2011//2012. She was also an editor and project manager, Schools Publishing at Oxford University Press. For four years she was a South Africa, Lesotho and Zambia country coordinator for the African Storybook Initiative, a digital publishing platform for children’s stories across Africa. She has contributed a number of stories in English and Setswana on the website and translated more than 100 children’s stories in Setswana. She is a published author and in 2017 published a children’s story book, Mogau’s Gift through Book Dash. She has also published two children’s story books through Room to Read South Africa. She holds qualifications in Languages and Literature (Majoring in Creative Writing) and Advanced Editing. She has presented papers locally and internationally on children’s literature.
Lorato is a creative writing facilitator and has facilitated writing workshops in South Africa, Zambia, Lesotho, Swaziland, Kenya and the United States for teachers, learners, aspiring writers and librarians. In December 2017, Association of Non-Fiction and Academic Authors of South Africa (ANFASA) awarded Lorato a writing grant to write a biography of Rosina Sedibane Modiba, South Africa’s first Black athlete to compete against white athletes during the apartheid years and set multiple records.
Malcolm Ray
The author of Free Fall and The Tyranny of Growth, Malcolm Ray’s work is devoted to breaking down walls of silence – the comfortable catchphrases and policy tropes used by political and economic elites to win hearts and minds. A multi-award-winning journalist, his writing is unapologetic and irreverent and deals directly with themes of power hierarchies, race and gender discrimination, and class inequality. His protagonists are often but not exclusively the poor and discarded communities.
Malcolm began his career as an anti-apartheid activist during the 1980s and early nineties, when he developed a habit of independent but critical thinking, spawning both his love of journalism and a desire for influencing change from the ground up. He practiced journalism for more than a decade before becoming a financial magazine editor in the early 2000s. Jaded by the rise of ‘soundbite’ journalism, the general decline in the quality of news and rising disinformation and misinformation in media, he traded his suits for casual slacks and made his way into academia as a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Johannesburg before succumbing, eventually, to the magnetic appeal of his first love, creative writing. Now he strives in his writing to integrate complex issues, recognising that news emerges from multiple actors in multifaceted social, political, economic and institutional settings.
He describes his trademark literary style as that of a “non-fiction novelist”, bringing clarity to fast-paced, complex issues in tight prose. His overall approach is contemporary and historical, theoretical and empirical, social and economic, interpretative and conversational, focussed on bringing narrative form to news headlines, dull statistics and complex research agendas.
He resisted biography on the grounds that he is both a “self-effacing personality” and that, publicly, he “exists through [his] literary work”. He believes that literature, like activism, can change the world, and he uses it to empower and influence minds.
Malcolm has lived most of his adult life in Johannesburg with his son, Liam, whom he fondly describes as the apple of his eye, and an adorable border collie named Bella. When not writing, he can be found walking Bella in a suburban park and hiking trails in and around Johannesburg.
Mandla Langa
Mandla Langa grew up in KwaMashu, Durban. After his arrest in 1976, he went into exile and lived in Botswana, Angola, Zambia as well as Hungary and the United Kingdom, where he was the ANC’s Cultural Representative. Apart from writing the libretto of Milestones, which featured music by Hugh Masekela and Sibongile Khumalo, Mandla is the author of several acclaimed novels, including The Lost Colours of the Chameleon, which won the 2009 Commonwealth Prize for Best Book in the African Region, as well as writing alongside Nelson Mandela in his posthumous memoir, Dare Not Linger. Mandla’s latest novel, The Lost Language of the Soul, was published in 2021 to wide critical acclaim.
Maryanne Bester
Three Friends and a Taxi was a winner of the 2004 Sappi Isiqalo Book Competition, which encourages South African authors and illustrators to develop material with a local idiom to promote reading, writing and access to books for all.
In 2007 The Cool Nguni by Maryanne and Shayle Bester was one of the winners of the Exclusive Books IBBY SA Awards for children’s book writers and illustrators.
IBBY Award certificate to Xolisa Guzula for Iinkonde eMnyango her isXhosa translation of The Elders at the Door by the Bester Sisters.
Melinda Ferguson
Michela Wrong
Michele Pithey
Mastering her craft at FCB, Ogilvy, Net#work, TBWA, Mother, FCB, and Howell Henry amongst other adverting and marketing agencies, Michele went on to open The Collective, one of South Africa’s first activation companies, working with clients like Cell C, Standard Bank, The Desmond Tutu Foundation, Disney and Heineken. This was followed by Sum, a micro agency that partnered with Barloworld, Clinix Hospitals and RE locally while working remotely with clients in Dubai, London and New York.
Michele is currently Executive Creative Director at Actuate, a change marketing consultancy. In her spare time, she ghost-writes books and is working on creating the first Copywriting Masterclass Podcast.
Michelle Edwards
Michelle Edwards obtained a Bachelor of Journalism from UCKAR in 2005 and spent three years travelling before returning to South Africa to work in content marketing. Go Away Birds, published by Modjaji Books and longlisted for the Dinaane Debut Fiction Award in 2018, is her first novel. She lives with her husband, two children and exuberant labrador in the North West province, and when she’s not working in marketing or on her second novel, she plays Taylor Swift on the piano and spends a lot of time falling while learning to wakeboard.
Photo: Pamela Power
Mogau Seshoene
Her previous book, The Lazy Makoti’s Guide to the Kitchen, became an instant bestseller. Mogau has received a Gourmand World Cookbook Award and a USIBA Creative and Cultural Industries Award, and was named the 2021 Luxe Restaurant Awards Culinary Media Personality of the Year. She’s featured on the Forbes Africa ‘30 under 30’ list and the Mail and Guardian Top 200 Young South Africans list. Hosting with the Lazy Makoti won Best Cookbook at the 2022 Luxe Awards.
Mokgadi Itsweng
Mphuthumi Ntabeni
Nathi Olifant
Durban-based Nathi Olifant is a former crime journalist and news editor of Media24’s Pietermaritzburg-based The Witness newspaper. He has also worked for Independent Media and the Sunday Times as a political correspondent. Nathi holds qualifications in Creative Writing and Journalism and first cut his teeth into fiction by writing short stories for Drum magazine and the now defunct Pace magazine. He has 17 years of journalism experience. Nathi currently works for the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Treasury as a communicator and speechwriter. His debut novel, Blood, Blades and Bullets – Anatomy of a Glebelands Hitman, won the 2021 The Book Behind Awards for Best English Novel: Male. The sequel The Fugitives is his second novel in the Glebelands Hitmen Series. He is working on his third crime novel that explores crime scene investigation by a female cop as a protagonist.
Nerisee Marais
Nerisee Marais is a writer, entrepreneur, and professional speaker. She was born in Chatsworth, Durban and read for degrees in political science and law from the University of Cape Town. My Cousin Brother is her first novel. Nerisee works to promote self-empowerment, spirituality, discuss social issues, and helps her clients develop a positive and stylish self-image. Nerisee lives in Johannesburg with her husband, son, and two Maine Coon cats that help proof-read her work. She loves travelling, reading, and unravelling the mysteries of the universe.
Nicki Gules & Ben Booysen
After a 40 year career in the SAPS, Captain Ben Booysen achieved overnight fame as the “good hero” cop in the TV hit series Devilsdorp when he finally managed to pin down and arrest the infamous Krugersdorp Killers. A cop driven by justice, it took Booysen three years of relentless sleuthing to get Cecilia Steyn and her crew behind bars,
Nicki Gules has had a long and illustrious career in the media, working at various news publications, including City Press and The Times. She is currently Assistant Editor News and Investigations at the Sunday Times.
Nikolaos Kirkinis
Nikolaos Kirkinis is the author of The Curse of Teko Modise, a well-celebrated title. His second book, Strike a Rock – The Thembi Kgatlana Story was selected for the 2021 Exclusive Books Homebru promotion. He has an honors degree in International Studies. Kirkinis has worked as a journalist for Soccer Laduma. He lives in Johannesburg.
Dr. Nokuthula Mazibuko Msimang
Mazibuko Msimang has published six books for young readers: In the Fast Lane (2003, New Africa Books, translated into isiXhosa by Dr. Xolisa Guzula); A Mozambican Summer (2005, New Africa Books); Spring Offensive (2006, Timbila); Love Songs for Nheti (2006, Vivlia), Freedom Song (2008, Pearson) and Qhawe! Mokgadi Caster Semenya (2021, New Africa Books) celebrating the life of the champion gold medalist. Her debut adult novel is titled The Daughters of Nandi (2021, Paivapo)
Her books for young readers celebrate positive cultural and social values; and encourage self-love, confidence, courage and resilience. In 2003, she was awarded the Bessie Head writing fellowship, which enabled her to complete and publish the collective biography, Spring Offensive.
Nyimpini Mabunda
Nyimpini Mabunda is the CEO for Southern Africa at General Electric. He has 25+ years background leading major consumer goods, food franchise, and telecoms businesses across Africa and the United Kingdom. Prior to joining GE, he fulfilled roles at the Country/Divisional CEO level for two major multinational businesses – Vodafone/ Vodacom and Diageo.
His expertise in strategy, marketing, sales, digital transformation, data analytics, business turnaround, private equity, stakeholder management, and market development define him as a well-rounded leader who has an impressive track record of driving results and talent development.
Nyimpini is a recognized industry leader who sits on a few external boards as non-executive director and chairman. He is also a former senior advisor for Boston Consulting Group (BCG) where he assisted the partners to build the business in Technology, Media, and Telecom (TMT) and Consumer Good Practices across sub-Saharan Africa. Nyimpini who holds an MBA from the University of Cape Town is a regular speaker and panelist at industry events, some highlights include his role as a judge and panelist at the Stanford University’s Africa Business Forum start up initiative, emcee at the official Nelson Mandela Memorial in Uganda, and moderator at the ILLA Africa lawmakers conference.
More recently Nyimpini was appointed Chair of U.S. Chamber’s U.S.-South Africa Business Council, the premier Washington-based business organization dedicated to the economic relationship between the United States and South Africa. The Council represents America’s leading companies doing business with South Africa, and it is comprised of senior executives of U.S. companies from every sector investing in South Africa.
Nyiko Mthembi
Otto Foundation
Pamela Power
Paula Marais
Paula Marais has written several novels including The Punishment, Love and Wine, Shadow Self (Skaduself in Afrikaans), Under the Surface and her latest, A Nuclear Family. As an avid traveller, she has hiked an icy Inca Trail in Peru, watched the Northern Lights from the Arctic Circle, forced down creamed eel in Estonia, gone shrimping in Charleston, been charged by a tiger in Nepal, climbed the Great Wall of China and crossed the Australian continent from north to south in a ramshackle Ford Mustang with no air-conditioning. Paula has a Master’s in Creative Writing (UCT), and likes to deal with issue-based subjects. However, her focus is always first and foremost on character and voice. Paula lives in Cape Town with her family and Jack Russell, and loves whiskey, beautiful views and exploring Table Mountain. Twitter | Instagram
Pearl Boshomane
Penny Haw
Penny Haw worked as a journalist and columnist for more than three decades, writing for many leading South African newspapers and magazines before yielding to a lifelong yearning to create fiction. Her stories feature remarkable women, illustrate her love for animals and nature, and explore the interconnectedness of all living things. Her children’s book, Nicko—The Tale of a Vervet Monkey on an African Farm was published in 2017. It was followed by a work of contemporary fiction, The Wilderness Between Us in 2021. Penny’s debut historical fiction, The Invincible Miss Cust is based on the life of Britain and Ireland’s first woman veterinary surgeon, Aleen Cust and will be published by Sourcebooks in October 2022. Penny lives in Hout Bay with her husband and three dogs, all of whom are well-walked.
Pie-Pacifique Kabalira-Uwase
Pie-Pacifique Kabalira-Uwase the Founder and Director of PEM Africa, a business consulting firm specializing in business development and sales. Having previously served as the Head of the Business School of the Foundation for Professional Development, a private institution of higher learning based in Pretoria, Pie-Pacifique is currently an Associate Consultant with the Inspirational Development Group (IDG) South Africa, and a Consulting Partner with Whitten and Roy Partnership (WRP), both companies with global reach, where he focuses on people-related business solutions. In addition to his business consulting activities, Pie-Pacifique travels to various countries inspiring, coaching and training leaders and followers to create the best results they desire, through team work and purposeful partnerships.
Pie-Pacifique’s journey includes growing up in Rwanda where he and his family narrowly survived the war. In 2001, he embarked on a challenging journey which would lead him to South Africa, beginning his life as a refugee car guard in Durban. In 2002, against all odds, he enrolled at the then University of Natal, where he was awarded the Mandela Rhodes Scholarship upon completion of his degree in Physics. He started his professional career in the banking sector as a Business and Systems Analyst in 2008.
In 2011, he was appointed Account Executive at Avocado Vision, a company specialized in large scale community and workplace training programs, including Enterprise Development. He initiated and managed projects that touched thousands of people and micro-enterprises based in marginalized communities. Since 2013, through his consulting work with IDG and WRP, he delivered Business Leadership Development programs and worked on Business Development projects in numerous countries in all four corners of Africa, as well as in South East Asia.
Pie-Pacifique is also a Council Member of Jesuit Refugee Service-Southern Africa, as well as an international Keynote and Motivational Speaker. He is the author of Witnessing – From the Rwandan tragedy to healing in South Africa.
Pindiwe Mgijima-Mabhena
Pindiwe Mgijima-Mabhena is an entrepreneur presently in the Renewable Energy space, but having dirtied her hands in many other businesses, such as being a Restaurateur and clearing bushes under electric powerlines in the past, she believes she can do anything.
She grew up in the homeland of Transkei during the Apartheid era. Pindiwe trained as a teacher and later followed her parents, who had fled to Lesotho. She went on to start her teaching career there. She also taught in Zimbabwe and later in South Africa. Diversifying into the business world, Pindiwe studied an IMM Diploma in Marketing and later a BBA degree (Bachelor of Business Administration) with the same institute.
With a passion for languages, she speaks seven languages, including French. She is currently learning three more. As a first time author, her wish is to translate her memoir into IsiXhosa and French. She would like to share the themes and topics of her book with a large audience.
Qarnita Loxton
Quraisha Dawood
Dr Quraisha Dawood is a South African sociologist and writer. In 2002, she published an anthology of poems entitled Jewels of Faith: Poems for Muslim Youth. She has since been published in Reader’s Digest, Irtiqa magazine, Al-Qalam, Al-Ummah, the Sunday Tribune, Riding the Samoosa Express and Saffron, as well as academic journals. In 2020, she published Almost Me, an autobiographical account of her journey through miscarriage, postpartum depression and motherhood. She holds a PhD in Sociology from the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal and is currently the research manager of a private higher education institution. Stirring the Pot is her first novel.
Refiloe Moahloli
Relebone Rirhandzu eAfrika
Her first full-length debut, Broken Porcelain, is a collection of essays describing one Black woman’s mental illness experience with a universal sensitivity. Relebone Rirhandzu eAfrika offers an unbridled perspective on the darkness of living with a brain that is constantly trying to sabotage you. This memoir-in-essays is grounded in research and guides the reader towards empathy, all while demystifying mental illness and centering those who live with it.
She’s the host, content producer, and program coordinator of the mental health podcast The Nine Lives of Depression Survivors. She is an avid bookstagrammer (@blackfeatherhideout) who promotes Black writers and their work, and a plant mom who doesn’t believe that there is such a thing as having too many plants.
You can find her ranting and being goofy on all social media at @relebone everywhere.
Riaan Manser
For more information on Riaan’s adventures, check out his website: https://www.riaanmanser.com/
Robert Hamblin
Robert Hamblin (1969) is an artist, father and a gender activist born in Johannesburg South Africa. He lives and works in Cape Town. Hamblin’s paintings and photographic works have been exhibited in South Africa and internationally. The artist has received critical acclaim for his work that contributes to understandings of body politics of the day, specifically concerned with queer masculinity as a transgender person.
He transioned from queer female in apartheid era South Africa to transgender male after the fall of the apartheid government. His perspectives of coming into white maleness in such a critical time is visited in his work.
In South Africa’s first major lockdown he completed his memoir commissioned by NB publishers and MF Books
“Writing a memoir is a very exposing exercise. One is confronted with the tenuous nature of memory and truth and forced to choose a single-story line in one’s life that will feel succinct to a reader. This is a jarring process that made me long for the dualities that are able to exist in visual art practice. I landed in a cul de sac with my photography practice. The writing lead me to brush and ink. Writing turned me into a painter.”
Rofhiwa Maneta
Sally Andrew
Samke Mhlongo
Samke is a divorced mother of two and lives between Johannesburg and Atlanta.
Ringfence is her debut novel.
Sewela Langeni
Shafinaaz Hassim
Facebook.com/ShafinaazHassim
Instagram @shafinaazhassim
YouTube: Shafinaaz Hassim
Twitter.com/shafinaaz
Shana Fife
Shayle Bester
Three Friends and a Taxi was a winner of the 2004 Sappi Isiqalo Book Competition, which encourages South African authors and illustrators to develop material with a local idiom to promote reading, writing and access to books for all.
In 2007 The Cool Nguni by Maryanne and Shayle Bester was one of the winners of the Exclusive Books IBBY SA Awards for children’s book writers and illustrators.
IBBY Award certificate to Xolisa Guzula for Iinkonde eMnyango her isXhosa translation of The Elders at the Door by the Bester Sisters.
Sinoyolo Sifo
My name is Sinoyolo Sifo a 32 year old male with passion for home cooking. I am a self-taught cook and have never had any training. I was raised in Eastern Cape in a small Village called Kwanonkobe in Mthatha. I draw a lot of inspiration from my father who is a hardworking man. Watching my mother cook made me more interested to learning how to cook. I come from a large family where we would take turns in the kitchen, this is where my passion for cooking started. My main aim is to break the stereotype which surrounds male figures in the kitchen and encourage more males to cook.
I am a pharmacist by profession and the founder of Sifo_The_Cooking_Husband which is an Instagram page where I share simple and delicious meals. My wife Nondumiso Sifo gave me the courage to start this page. I have a dream of opening up a restaurant one day. Having the Instagram page is a great platform for me to share my recipes. My Instagram page was created in January 2020 and I already have over 86K followers. I enjoy trying out new recipes while adding my own twist, and sharing them with my followers. My favourite meal is a juicy sirloin steak with mushroom sauce and creamy mashed potatoes. My goals are to grow my page and become a recognizable brand.
I am the cookbook author of Sifo The Cooking Husband, which is an invitation to readers – men and women alike – to share in the joy of making memories through food. Inspired by the nostalgia of home and family, this book brings together a selection of almost 70 recipes, each one simple and accessible, wholesome and delicious. There are scrumptious breakfasts, indulgent pasta dishes, hearty stews, quick lunches, impressive dinners, decadent desserts, as well as traditional South African dishes and some childhood favourites.
Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu
Sizwe Mpofu-Walsh
Stephen Grootes
Steven Sidley
Steven Boykey Sidley is an award-winning and multi-shortlisted author of 5 novels and one non-fiction book (Beyond Bitcoin: Decentralised Finance and the End of Banks), co-written with Simon Dingle. He is also playwright and regular contributing columnist to outlets like Daily Maverick and Business Day.
He has a MSc in Computer Science from UCLA, and has spent decades working as Group Chief Technology Officer for multiple global listed companies, as well as starting, building and selling numerous technology companies. In his spare time he plays jazz saxophone with various bands around Johannesburg.
Subi Bosa
Subi aims to create warm and colourful scenes in his illustrations and to represent African people in all their beautiful textures, tones, sizes and features. Being a children’s book illustrator has brought him great fulfillment and he loves helping to bring stories to life and sharing these stories with readers.
Sue Nyathi
Takalani M
Takalani M was raised in a township called Shayandima in Venda and is currently living in Pretoria, South Africa. She is a national bestselling author of The Royal Mistress trilogy and stand-alone novels, Into the Sun and A Burning Desire. With her degree in Public Finance and Accounting, Takalani M is currently a financial analyst at Government Communication and Information System. She is also passionate about penning down romantic love stories for her Facebook blog.
Takalani M is well-known for telling romantic stories that are aimed at changing people’s lives and give hope to the hopeless.
Terry Angelos
Terry Angelos is a full-time artist known for her quirky art. She lives in Durban and is married to a saint, has three grown-up children and a pug, Juniper, named after her favourite drink. She likes to juggle multiple projects in her loft studio which resembles a messy natural history museum. Her dark humour is not always appreciated.
Thabiso Mahlape
Thando Lamula
Professionally, I am a Trust and Fiduciary manager at Standard Bank (Wealth and Investment). I provide practical and effective succession planning, as well as the traditional disciplines of tax efficient estate planning and integrating onshore and offshore offering.
Academically, I hold four degrees. The list of degrees which I have includes a Master of Commerce (Taxation), a Postgraduate Diploma in Law (Taxation), a Postgraduate Diploma in Law (Compliance and Corporate Governance) and a Bachelor of Commerce (Law).
The Minister of Higher Education Science and Innovation had shown confidence in me by appointing me as Council Member of the South West Gauteng TVET College. In that Council, I serve as a Deputy Chairperson of the Council. I also serve as a Non-Executive Director at the African Youth Development Fund.
My professional membership includes being a Master Tax Practitioner endorsed by the South African Institute of Tax Practitioners (SAIT), I am also a member of the Fiduciary Institute of Southern Africa (FISA). I have recently joined the Institute of Directors (IoD).
In addition to the above, I also have an interest in empowering the underprivileged, I have thus founded an Education Foundation. As a result of my social, philanthropic, academic and professional background I was crowned Mrs Africa 2020 by Africa Pageants in November 2019.
Thando Pato
Thando Pato is an experienced wordsmith, She cut her teeth in journalism as a features writer, writing for O, (Oprah Winfrey’s magazine), Marie Claire, True Love, ELLE, and Sunday Times Lifestyle before changing direction and immersing herself in corporate communications. Thando is based in Johannesburg, where she lives and works full-time.
Theodora Lee
Tiffany Kagure Mugo
Tumi Kgasoe
Outside of presenting career, Tumi has also established herself as an MC at both corporate and sporting events.
Vivian de Klerk
Professor Vivian de Klerk is an old Rhodian (1972-75) and obtained her BA (Hons) and MA degrees all cum laude from Rhodes and her PhD from UCT. She was Professor and Head of the Department of English Language and Linguistics at Rhodes University for 15 years, from 1991 to 2006, and during that time she was also Deputy Dean of Humanities for 6 years and served as the University Public Orator for 4 years. On a national level, she served as President of the Linguistics Society of Southern Africa, Chair of the Board of the Dictionary of South African English and the Provincial Language Council for Eastern Cape Province, and also served on the South African Geographical Names Council, the boards of the South African Academy of Science and the English National Language Body. Her scholarly research over the years focussed on language shift and varieties of English in South Africa, and she has published over 90 peer-reviewed journal articles and two scholarly books. In 2004 she was awarded the Rhodes Vice Chancellor’s Senior Research Award. In 2007 she became the Dean of Students at Rhodes University, where she served for 8 years devising innovative ways to support the academic endeavours of the University while encouraging transformation and leadership amongst the student body. She is also the mother of 3 grown children (all with postgrad degrees from Rhodes) and has 4 grandchildren. She took early retirement at the age of 60, in order to write creative fiction. Her first novel “Not to Mention” was published by Pan Macmillan in 2020 and was shortlisted for the annual Human and Social Science Award, and for the Sunday Times /CNA Literary Award. She has recently published a second novel: “Serpent Crescent”, a psycho-thriller which came out in March.
Wahbie Long
Wahbie Long, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist and associate professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Cape Town. A Mandela Mellon fellow at Harvard University, he is a recipient of the Early Career Achievement Award from the Society for the History of Psychology.
Xan Theophanous
Xolisa Guzula
Yewande Omotoso
Yewande Omotoso is an architect, with a masters in creative writing from the University of Cape Town. Her debut novel ‘Bomboy’ (2011 Modjaji Books), won the South African Literary Award First Time Author Prize. Her short stories include ‘How About The Children’ (Kalahari Review), ‘Things Are Hard’ (2012 Caine Prize Anthology), ‘Fish’ (The Moth Literary Journal) and ‘The Leftovers’ (One World Two). Yewande was a 2015 Miles Morland Scholar. Her second novel ‘The Woman Next Door’ (2016 Chatto and Windus) was shortlisted for the International Dublin Literary Award and longlisted for the Baileys Women’s Literature Prize. Her third novel is ‘An Unusual Grief’ (Cassava Republic).
Photo: Suzy Bernstein
