Polity Author Articles

For Letlhokwa George Mpedi, a journey through South Africa’s Kruger National Park transformed from merely a game drive to a masterclass in leadership.

Hot on the heels of Venison’s award-winning bestseller SOL: My Friend & Adversary, ESCAPING THE SUN is the blazing, untold story of a man who lived in the orbit of a giant, and finally broke free.

Under Smuts’s Rule: Jan Smuts and His Impact on Black South Africans – Bongani Ngqulunga

Much has been said and written about Radio 702, but until now the full story of how it was founded, the impact it made and the enduring legacy it has left has not been told. In Touch In Tune and Independent: The Story of 702 provides just such a history.

Meet the inspiring kasipreneurs of the informal economy, from bakers to backroom rental barons, coffee innovators to goat breeders, kasi delivery people to spaza innovators, mattress makers, backroom builders, vetkoek fryers and chicken dust queens, kota franchises and backyard a

“I have come to believe that when you reach your sixties – when you’ve finally accumulated the wisdom, experience and confidence to make the most meaningful contribution – that’s not the time to exit. That’s the time to accelerate your efforts to effect change.

Benni McCarthy is South Africa’s most successful footballer – he’s the all-time top scorer for Bafana Bafana, the country’s only UEFA Champions League winner, and he is now forging a successful career as a coach.

Peter Mehlape unpacks his book 'Winning In Africa: Your Next Eight Moves to Business Success in Africa', which offers a vision and practical blueprint for doing business in Africa. It offers practical insights on navigating Africa's diverse markets, leveraging tech, building part

A sweeping story with intimate roots, Darker Shade of Pale traces a little-known chapter in the history of global migration.

Ulibambe Lingashoni: A History of Ilanga lase Natal Newspaper is an essential read for anyone interested in the power and importance of the press.

Fr David Neuhaus unpacks his book 'Conquest or Leaven'

Hope Arising is the inspiring true story of South Africa’s bold attempt to create a world-class electric vehicle – long before EVs became mainstream. At its heart is the JOULE, a sleek and visionary car born from the ambition of four engineers determined to reshape the future of

Zapiro discusses his 2025 collection 'What Else Could Go Wrong?', a searing, satirical look at another year of political absurdity, national upheaval and international lunacy captured in a brilliant series of cartoons.

Explores Johnny Clegg’s legacy as a South African musician, anthropologist and cultural activist. It examines Clegg’s integration of music, dance and political philosophy as resistance against apartheid, his navigation of transnational cultural politics, and interrogates cultural

Adrian Saville & Bruce Whitfield talk about 'It's About Tyme: Banking Beyond Borders'

Raising Champions is a clarion call to a nation: it’s time to rebuild, one value-driven young person at a time.

Ashwin Desai & Goolam Vahed discuss their book 'Belonging: The History of Indian South Africans'

Mandy Wiener discusses her book 'The Deal', which takes you behind the scenes of the negotiations that ultimately led to the establishment of the Government of National Unity.

At school, James Urdang a troublemaking underachiever. Diagnosed with ADHD and Dyslexia at an early age, few could have imagined he’d go on to found Education Africa, an organisation that has helped educate thousands of young black South Africans.

Mpho Boshego discusses her novel 'Diplomatic Ties', a gripping story of power, ambition, and the price of desire.

Mafia Land is the hair-raising tale of twelve of the country’s most dangerous cartels, and how they will stop at nothing in their deadly, devastating plunder of our country.

This is not a biography of Julius Malema. It is the story of his money.

Restless Infections is a collection of critical essays exploring artistic interventions in urban spaces, focusing on place-making and the politics of space in South Africa.

South Africa can sometimes appear to be awash with occult crime. From satanist conspiracies and witchcraft accusations to muti murders and demonic possession, a trawl through our national news suggests a society at war with the forces of evil.

The Chaos Precinct presents a compelling, brave – at times, lyrical – narrative of how migrant Ethiopians have shaped a trading post in Johannesburg’s inner city.

‘The defeat of Pagad stands out as one of the most dramatic intelligence achievements in the democratic era.’ KGALEMA MOTLANTHE: Former President of South Africa.

An explosive, fast-paced investigation into greed and state capture, this book is also a moving tribute to the courage of one woman who, when confronted by powerful wrongdoers, refused to keep quiet.

The Way Home adds a vital part of the literature on the lived experiences of formerly exiled South Africans; yet immensely valuable to those who waged the struggle on the home front as well. It is a must read for the old, young and, hopefully, those yet to be born. – Dr Mokubung

David Williams shares the story of Africa's most extensive rail network, enriched with his own anecdotes and being a lifelong rail enthusiast.

This book examines Africa’s strategic partnerships with emerging powers, focusing on insights from the global South, such as BRICS countries, Iran, Turkey, Japan, and South Korea.

Journey Kwantu is inspired by Vusumzi Ngxande’s popular podcast of the same name that delves into South African spiritual identity and beliefs and shows how it has evolved over hundreds of years.

Attacking the Heart of Apartheid: The ANC's MK Special Operations Unit – Yunus Carrim

Since the Zuma presidency weakened crime intelligence, violent crime surged, with murder rates rising over 75%.

Peter Auf Der Heyde unpacks his book 'Death in Pretoria: Untold Stories of Political Activists Executed During Apartheid'

An inspiring personal story that traverses politics, business and personal triumphs, Corporate Newsman reveals the complex layers of a man who dared to dream.

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Making a Life explores the dynamic life-making strategies of young men in Zandspruit, an informal settlement in Johannesburg. It offers insights into issues such as urban work, citizenship, un(der)employment and inequality in South Africa, and contributes to a global understandin

In the heart of a village untouched by the world’s chaos, five-year-old Popina took solace in the simple joys of childhood – climbing mango trees, chasing baby baboons, and exploring the fields.

The High Treason Club is the story of the Boeremag, the investigation that brought them down and the subsequent trial, the first of its kind in democratic South Africa. Based on exclusive interviews, as well as thousands of pages of court transcripts and documentary evidence...

This biography of photographer Omar Badsha, who was intimately involved in documenting the struggle against apartheid, is also an intellectual history of protest in South Africa.

'That summer afternoon, I had no way of knowing the book would radically alter my existence. Yet that proved to be the case. A wind that had begun to blow from a faraway place a long time ago had finally caught up with me.'

In 1856, a teenage girl led 40 000 to their deaths in the Eastern Cape. When Treive Nicholas arrived in the 1980s to teach, he was captivated by the Wild Coast. Treive's quest spans continents, from South Africa to England, ending with a shocking revelation closer to home

No Last Place to Rest: Coal Mining and Dispossession in South Africa is an exploration of the ongoing struggles faced by families whose lives have been upended by the relentless expansion of coal mining operations in the Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal provinces.

Discover the gripping tale of Together Apart: The Story of Living in Apartheid, that explores South Africa’s struggle against one of history’s most notorious systems of racial segregation. Through the reflections of an elder who lived through it, this book invites readers to dive

In 1913, a secretive American millionaire, who lived on the top floor of the famous Carlton Hotel, had a crazy idea: to make movies in Johannesburg. And not just any movies but the biggest in the world, huge spectacles with elaborate sets, thousands of extras and epic story lines

White supremacy is on the rise in the world once again, often finding expression in acts of extreme violence by young white men.

God’s Waiting Room: Racial Reckoning at Life’s End is a poignant and immersive exploration of life in a South African nursing home, built atop a graveyard left behind by the forced removals of apartheid.

John Stewart unpacks the biography of Sir Herbert Baker

An essential introduction to Fanon’s remarkable life and philosophy. Connecting his writing, psychiatric practice and lived experience in the Caribbean, France and Africa, Gibson highlights Fanon’s philosophical commitments and the vision of revolution that he stood for. Fanon’