Last Updated on March 6, 2026 by Adrienne
Before my bigger trips I like to do some pre-trip reading to familiarize myself with the local history and culture. Here’s my reading list for our South Africa trip (safari in the northern part of the country + Cape Town). This book is a mix of non-fiction about South Africa (and the broader continent)’s complicated history, travel and science writing about the local wildlife, fiction from South African writers, and kids books that familiarize younger travelers with the country’s history and the safari experience.
Memoirs and Biographies of Notable South Africans
Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela
If you read one book before visiting South Africa, I’d recommend the memoir of the most famous South African, Nelson Mandela, anti-apartheid activist and the country’s first democratically elected president. He covers his childhood in the Thembu royal family, his education and early years as an activist and his long imprisonment on Robben Island (which you may be able to visit on a trip to Cape Town). It’s an enjoyable and very important read.
Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah
I read South African-American comedian Noah’s outstanding and hilarious memoir about growing up in apartheid and newly post-apartheid South Africa years ago, and re-read it before our trip. The title refers to the fact that at the time of his birth, interracial relationships were criminalized, so his very existence was illegal. His story is so inspiring and this collection of essays is funny, moving, heartbreaking and most of all a beautiful tribute to his strong and resilient mother. There’s also a young adult version (see below).
Harry Oppenheimer: Diamonds, Gold and Dynasty by Michael Cardo
Mining, especially for diamonds, and the associated exploitation of migrant labor has had a huge impact on South Africa’s economic and political development. This book examines the life and legacy of Harry Oppenheimer, one of the most powerful people in the industry, who led De Beers and parent company Anglo American.
Non-Fiction about the History and Cultures of Africa
The Scramble for Africa: The White Man’s Conquest of the Dark Continent from 1876 to 1912 by Thomas Pakenham
This book details the time period at the end of the 19th century when a handful of powerful European countries rapidly colonized and divided Africa along very arbitrary lines, exploited the continent’s people and stripped it of natural resources. This is a dry and academic book and not the easiest read, but a very important topic.
A History of South Africa from 1902 to the Present by Thula Simpson
As the title suggests, this book comprehensively covers South African history in the 20th and early 21st centuries. Some of the events covered in the book overlap with other non-fiction on this list like Nelson Mandela’s memoir, but I appreciated that a large section of the book focuses on life in modern, post-apartheid South Africa and gives some insight into how the country dealt with the AIDS epidemic and COVID-19.
Africana : more than 100 recipes and flavors inspired by a rich continent by Lerato Umah-Shaylor
Since food is such a big part of my travels, I always like to check out a cookbook before I go to learn more about local dishes, and this book provides a great introduction to the food of Africa, with all corners of the continent represented.
Africa is Not a Country: Notes on a Bright Continent by Dipo Faloyin
This entertaining but informative book plays with the (accurate) trope that many in the west lump Africa together as a monolith, despite the fact that the continent has enormous diversity in terms of language, culture, food, religion and more. Faloyin’s writing is sharp and funny and dismantles many common western stereotypes about Africa. He also covers some of the history and current politics in several countries, explaining the colonization of the continent, particularly the brutal Belgian exploitation of what is now the Congo, in a way that’s much more digestible than the more academic books mentioned above.
Travel and Science Writing About Africa and Its Wildlife
Whatever You Do, Don’t Run: True Tales of a Bostwana Safari Guide by Peter Allison
I really enjoyed this funny collection of essays from Allison’s years working as a safari guide in South Africa and Botswana. Some of his observations are so spot-on they hit a little too close to home – like the tourists who need to stop for every antelope on the drive from the airstrip to the lodge but barely notice elephants and giraffes on the way back – and although his stories are fun and entertaining, his love of animals and passion for conservation clearly shines through.
A Primate’s Memoir: A Neuroscientist’s Unconventional Life Among the Baboons by Robert Sapolsky
Sapolsky made a career out of studying the same troop of baboons in Kenya year after year. This engaging book not only has details about his baboon studies but also anecdotes about his extensive travels around east Africa. Warning that it has a sad ending for animals you’ve come to love, but such is life sometimes.
Elephant Memories: Thirteen Years in the Life of an Elephant Family by Cynthia Moss
What Sapolsky is to baboons, Moss is to elephants. This book covers her decades studying the elephant families of Kenya’s Amboseli National Park. My love for elephants is well-documented, but this book made me love them even more.
Dark Star Safari: Overland from Cairo to Cape Town by Paul Theroux
This book chronicling famed travel writer Theroux’s journey across Africa in the early 2000s is engaging and thought-provoking.
Fiction by South African Writers
Note: though South Africa is only 7% white, the vast majority of the country’s fiction published in English and widely available in the west is by white authors. I endeavored to make a reading list that reflects the country’s diversity, but it was a challenge, especially with fiction, because I was limited to the books that are available to me in English. If you have suggestions for other South African writers I should check out, please share in the comments!
Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton
Perhaps South Africa’s best known work of literature, this book about a Black South African preacher and a white farmer whose lives are linked by a violent crime was made into a 1951 movie starring Sidney Poitier, which was the first major film shot in South Africa.
Follow Me to Africa by Penny Haw
Light and fun historical fiction about (real life) archeologist Mary Leakey, who made major discoveries in Tanzania. The book flashes back and forth between the early days of Leakey’s career and the 1980s when a now-established Leakey mentors a young girl who finds herself unwillingly in the Serengeti on her archeologist father’s dig.
Devil’s Peak by Deon Meyer
One of the highlights of my South Africa-related reading was discovering Deon Meyer’s Benny Griessel detective novels, which are mostly set in and around Cape Town and do an incredible job of transporting the reader to the Mother City. The books are gritty and don’t shy away from addressing modern South Africa’s social issues head-on, but I found them hard to put down and Benny is a flawed but likable hero. Devil’s Peak is the first in a series of eight novels, so it will keep you entertained for a while if you tear through the whole series like I did.
Kids Books About South Africa and the Safari Experience
The Story of Nelson Mandela: A Biography Book for New Readers by Floyd Strokes
A fun and accessible book about Mandela for middle grade readers. My 7 year old really enjoyed it.
It’s Trevor Noah: Born a Crime (Adapted for Young Readers)
The young adult version of Noah’s excellent memoir. I would say this is best for ages 10+ but might work for younger children if you read together and discuss.
The White Giraffe by Lauren St. John
A magical realism story about an 11 year old who tragically loses her parents in a fire and goes to live with her strict grandmother on a wildlife reserve in South Africa, where she finds healing in a mythical white giraffe. First in a series of “Animal Healer” books, several of which center around other endangered African animals.
Murder on the Safari Star by M.G. Leonard and Sam Sedgman
Part of the “Adventures on Trains” series about a boy who joins his travel writer uncle on train trips in exotic locals and ends up witnessing and solving crimes, this middle-grade novel is delightful and very well-written for a kids book, if a bit of a blatant Agatha Christie rip-off. I think I enjoyed this one as much or more than my kiddo. 😉
The Forgotten Four by Roslynne Toerien
A sweet picture book we picked up in the Joburg airport about four safari animals (giraffe, zebra, hippo and warthog) that don’t quite make the “Big Five.” This will introduce kids to the basics of what a safari is like and what they might see.
Safari, So Good by Bonnie Worth
A Cat in the Hat Learning Library book about what it’s like to go on safari, with fun facts about the animals you’ll meet. This is really aimed at preschoolers but might be interesting to elementary age kids who want to know more about what a safari will be like.
Looking for more travel-related reading lists? Check out what I read before going to Turkey and Cuba.
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