For our final Read the World blog of 2025 we asked Kay @‌therathercosyreader for her top South African books. South Africa’s history is fascinating, complicated, and undeniably dark in places. However, its literary landscape is rich, diverse, and filled with voices that speak powerfully to both the past and the present. Kay has selected a thoughtful blend of memoir, fiction, and true crime, each one capturing a different facet of South African culture, identity, and storytelling. Which of these South African books will you be adding to your TBR?

The Wilderness Family: At Home with Africa’s Wildlife by Kobie Kruger

Born a Crime by Trevor Noah

Hilarious, heartfelt, and full of moving insight, Trevor Noah’s memoir captures what it was like to grow up in South Africa during apartheid. With his signature wit, Noah weaves together stories of identity, family, fear, resilience, and survival. Despite the weight of the subject matter, the book is bursting with life, humour, and moments of deep reflection. It’s one of those rare reads that is both entertaining and profoundly important.

Kringe in ’n Bos (Circles in a Forest) by Dalene Matthee

A hauntingly beautiful story set in the Knysna Forest, this novel is a tale of love, loss, and the complex relationship between people and nature. The book is originally written in Afrikaans, but even in translation, Dalene Matthee’s writing is deeply immersive, the forest becomes a living, breathing entity, shaping the fate of the characters who dwell within it. The story is emotional and beautifully told, lingering long after you turn the final page. It broke my heart.

Catch Me a Killer: A Profiler’s True Story by Micki Pistorius

If criminal psychology fascinates you, Micki Pistorius’s memoir is essential reading. As South Africa’s first-ever criminal profiler, Pistorius shares her experiences working on some of the country’s most chilling and complex cases. The book is dark, gripping, and at times unsettling, but also incredibly insightful, offering a rare look into the mindset of both criminals and the investigators who work tirelessly to stop them. It’s the kind of nonfiction that reads like a thriller.

Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela

No South African reading list would ever be complete without Nelson Mandela’s iconic autobiography. I first read this book in my early twenties and says it has stayed with me ever since. Mandela’s story, from his rural childhood to his decades of imprisonment, to becoming the first democratically elected president of South Africa, is nothing short of extraordinary. The book is powerful, humbling, and filled with wisdom and hope. It remains one of the most profound autobiographies of the modern era.

If you want to hear more from Kay, you can find them at @‌therathercosyreader over on Instagram.