PAGECAST

This week on Pagecast, host Arini Vlotman sits down with acclaimed local author Nivashni Nair Sukdhev to discuss her new novel, It's Complicated. They talk about second chances, hidden secrets, and the healing power of true love. More about the book: Love. Secrets. Second chances. Nivashni Nair Sukdhev is back with another enchanting story set in the little town of Rally in KwaZulu-Natal. After walking away from the big city and an international modelling career, Kaavi Archary is beginning to find an inner peace. She is making friends, volunteering in a programme for troubled teenage girls and relishing a fresh start in life. But she has a secret: her estranged husband, Neel. So when Neel shows up in Rally with divorce papers, Kaavi’s life is thrown into chaos. He says he’s here to end things — but what he really wants is to win her back. Beneath the heartbreak lies a chemistry that neither of them can resist. As Kaavi faces the truth about her past and her family, she and Neel must decide if they can trust each other again. It’s Complicated is a heartwarming tale about finding your way home — and discovering the quiet miracle of true love. This is the second book in the Rally romance series and can be read as a stand-alone story. GET THE BOOK: Grab your copy of It's Complicated by Nivashni Nair Sukdhev — available now at all major bookstores and online. Perfect for fans of heartfelt romance and second-chance love stories! #SouthAfricanRomance #Pagecast #RomanceBooks #NivashniNairSukdhev #LocalAuthors

Discover the untold stories of South African women who changed history. In this episode of Pagecast, Nancy Richards sits down with Professor Lizette Rabe to talk about her book, 101 Remarkable South African Women. From ancient trailblazers like the "Eve of the West Coast" to modern icons including Thuli Madonsela, Caster Semenya, and Tyla, this essential book restores women to the centre of South Africa's story. Journey through profiles of celebrated figures like Miriam Makeba, Olive Schreiner, and Ruth First, alongside overlooked heroines such as Zwarte Maria, Mantatisi, Nongqawuse, and Gladys Mgudlandlu. Spanning politics, literature, sport, activism, and art, these powerful narratives celebrate women's courage, intellect, creativity, and leadership that have shaped our nation and continue to drive the struggle for gender equality. Malibongwe Makosikazi – let the women be praised! About the Author: Lizette Rabe is an emeritus professor of journalism at Stellenbosch University, with over 20 years of field experience before leading SU's journalism department. An acclaimed author and editor of key works on South African media, she has received major teaching and research awards, including the Chancellor's Award and the prestigious Stals Prize for Communication and Journalism. About the Host: Nancy Richards is an independent print and radio journalist, podcast host, and media trainer. She is the founder of Woman Zone, an NPO, and The Women's Library at Artscape. Her memoir, The Skipper's Daughter, was published in 2021. 🎧 Subscribe to Pagecast for more conversations celebrating South African literature and storytelling 📲 Share this episode with someone who needs to hear these remarkable stories 📖 Buy the book 101 Remarkable South African Women and own a piece of herstory #SouthAfricanWomen #Herstory #SouthAfricanLiterature #WomensHistory #Pagecast

This episode of Pagecast is brought to you in collaboration with the ARTdacity podcast, ahead of the Investec Art Fair. This week, Jo-Ann Strauss interviews Chris Soal about his book, To Sharpen our Senses and Soften our Touch. Through his use of discarded and mundane ephemera, such as toothpicks and bottle caps, along with concrete, rebar, electric fencing cable, sandpaper, and other industrial materials, the artist intuitively develops the familiar to the point of the uncanny. Soal’s works can be considered social abstractions influenced by a reinterpreted Arte Povera that is deeply rooted in and reflective of his upbringing in Johannesburg, South Africa. Working symbiotically with his materials, Soal utilises the inherent physical characteristics of the objects to transform them through processes of aggregation, combination, and erosion. You can find ARTdacity here: https://www.artdacity.co.za/ #Pagecast #capetownartist #artbookrecommendations

This episode of Pagecast is brought to you in collaboration with the ARTdacity podcast, just in time for the Investec Art Fair later this month. This week, Jo-Ann Strauss interviews Nicola Brandt about her book, The Distance Within, which features photographs and video stills made over more than a decade. The Distance Within reflects on Nicola Brandt’s German and Namibian inheritance and deconstructs certain established ways of seeing Namibia. Brandt traveled the country extensively, documenting landscapes and people, structures and encounters, to reveal ensnared histories of German colonialism, National Socialism and apartheid. Markers of these histories range from the ephemeral and private, such as a dilapidated mound of stones as a roadside memorial, to official sites of remembrance and resistance, particularly for colonial atrocities. Alongside her images, Brandt assembles texts by thought leaders in photography, postcolonial cultures, memory and genocide studies, as well as material from private and public archives, to understand enduring blind spots. The result is an intersectional argument in favor of reclaiming suppressed indigenous stories and identities, undoing romantic notions of whiteness, and, ultimately, illuminating what has not been visible. You can find ARTdacity here: https://www.artdacity.co.za/ #Pagecast #capetownartist #artbookrecommendations

We have a bonus episode of Pagecast for you today featuring Claire Dinhut (Condiment Claire) and Karen Dudley. This is the perfect conversation ahead of the festive season as the two chat all about condiments, bold new flavours and secrets about how to elevate any dish. More about The Condiment Book by Claire Dinhut: The definitive condiment compendium by expert and TikTok sensation Claire Dinhut aka Condiment Claire Are you Team Ketchup or Team Mustard? What are your Top 3 condiments? And is butter really a condiment? Let Claire guide you through the condiment world of flavour starting with the Classics that we all know and love – Ketchup, Mayonnaise, Mustard and Butter – right through to Hot Sauces, Ferments and Pickles (think Miso and Kimchi), Dressings & Oils, Fruit in Jars and Dips. With illustrations and charts throughout, The Condiment Book covers everything from failsafe recipes for much-loved condiments, hundreds of variations and flavour pairings, condiments from across the globe, fascinating historical facts (did you know that Aztecs used chillis as a weapon?) – it is the definitive guide to this class of food that isn't strictly necessary yet to most of us is indispensable. More about Upwards by Karen Dudley: In Upwards, Karen Dudley invites us on a culinary journey that transcends the ordinary, encouraging us to look up to what is true and essential – living simply and well. In this follow-up to Onwards, Karen, with her signature warmth and insight, shares how the act of cooking can – and should be – a letting go of life’s daily preoccupations, a way to connect with ourselves and others, by paying attention to the pleasure and enjoyment of cooking something beautiful, delicious and even surprising. Sharing recipes from a vibrant palette of flavours, Upwards lifts Karen’s loyal community towards the next level – to learn new skills, to look up to quality over quantity and to pay attention to the splendour that can come from the meditative act of cooking. Upwards is thus a call to be inspired, to create and to connect, all the time looking up, up, up, as we invite into our kitchens new dishes, new flavours and new possibilities. #PagecastPodcast #CondimentClaire #KarenDudley #TheCondimentBook #FestiveFlavours #FoodieConversation #CookingInspiration #ElevateYourDish

Ons eindig ’n jaar van fassinerende boekpraatjies op Pagecast met ’n opwindende gesprek tussen Deon Meyer en Beer Adriaanse oor die topverkoper Skorpio. Bennie Griessel en Vaughn Cupido ontvang die blye tyding dat hulle uiteindelik weer bevorder is tot die rang van kaptein. Maar hul vreugde is van korte duur. Die vergruisde liggaam van een van Cupido se beste vriende is gevind onder die motor waaraan hy in sy motorhuis gewerk het... was dit 'n ongeluk, of koelbloedige moord? En op ’n imposante plaas buite Stellenbosch ontplof ’n woonwa. Onverklaarbaar. Nadat die vuur geblus is, word ’n liggaam in die wrak gevind... #DeonMeyer #BennieGriessel

In this episode of Pagecast, Bongani Bingwa interviews Pieter du Toit about his latest book, The Dark Prince, an unflinching portrait of Paul Mashatile’s controversial rise through the ANC ranks to the doorstep of the presidency. About the book: Having survived scandal, controversy and the Zuma years, Paul Mashatile has risen through the ranks to the doorstep of the presidency. Over a political career spanning 30 years, he has successfully navigated the corruption and factionalism that the ANC has become known for. Now he wants to take charge of the party – and the Union Buildings. The question is: Should he? Is Paul Mashatile suitable for the highest office? • He has been associated with the ‘Alex Mafia’ for more than 30 years. What influence do they have over Mashatile? • He leads a lavish lifestyle, living in luxury homes in Johannesburg and Cape Town. How were they acquired? • He has been outspoken about the economy, black economic empowerment, and South Africa’s foreign relations. But does he have firm principles? • And how has his string of lovers affected his professional life? This meticulously researched account by bestselling author Pieter du Toit answers these vital questions and reveals the dark truth about the ANC’s crown prince. #SouthAfricanBooks #PagecastPodcast #TheDarkPrince #PieterduToit #PaulMashatile #SouthAfricanPolitics #ANC #BookPodcast #Political

In this episode of Pagecast, Sindeka Mandoyi interviews Lebo Mazibuko about her latest novel, Fabrics of Love. This family saga is told through the lens of the third generation of women who surround Lemohang Ntoi, the head of the family, as he struggles to hold onto life as he knew it. It is the Ntoi women’s assertiveness and drive that threaten Lemohang’s position and ideals for this family. We see their attempts at healing past trauma while they pursue their dreams. Fabrics of Love navigates issues around culture, legacy, love and marriage. #PagecastPodcast #SouthAfricanAuthors #FabricsOfLove #LeboMazibuko #FamilySaga #WomenWritersSA #AfricanLiterature #BookPodcast #CulturalLegacy #SAFiction

In hierdie episode van Pagecast is Mia Spies in gesprek met Marita van der Vyver oor haar nuutste boek, My jaar van vrees en vryheid. Marita van der Vyver is een van die mees geliefde skrywers in Afrikaans en is bekend vir haar romans en kinderboeke wat lesers al oor dekades heen betower. Mia Spies is ’n gerekende multimedia joernalis en TV-aanbieder, wat bekend is vir haar deeglike storievertelling en insiggewende onderhoude. Meer oor die boek: My jaar van vrees en vryheid is Marita se eerlike, roerende en soms skerp-humoristiese verkenning van ’n sprongjaar in haar lewe — ’n tydperk waarin sy van veiligheid en sekerheid na vrees en onsekerheid beweeg het. Terwyl sy deur haar herinneringe reis, ontgin sy ’n leeftyd van belewenisse, verlange, liefde, verlies, groei en die soeke na sin in ’n wêreld wat voortdurend verander. Die boek verweef persoonlike vertelling met fyn waarneming: van die daaglikse ritme van haar lewe in Frankryk, tot drome van Suid-Afrika en die mense en plekke wat haar gevorm het. Dit is ’n verhaal oor vrees — maar ook oor bevryding, aanvaarding en die moed om weer te begin. Sluit aan by Marita en Mia vir ’n warm, diepsinnige en verhelderende gesprek oor skryf, identiteit, herinnering en die krag van verhaal. #Pagecast #MaritaVanDerVyver #MyJaarVanVreesEnVryheid #AfrikaanseBoeke #MiaSpies #SuidAfrikaanseSkrywers #Letterkunde #Boekgesprek #AfrikaanseLeeskultuur #SkrywersInGesprek

In this episode of Pagecast, Anthony Molyneaux is in conversation with Nicole Engelbrecht about her new book, Bare Bones. Nicole Engelbrecht is the creator and host of one of SA’s biggest podcasts, True Crime South Africa, and is the author of Samurai Sword Murder: The Morne Harmse Story. Anthony Molyneaux is a Documentary Director & Video Journalist with over a decade of experience. He is the director of Netflix’s 'Beauty and the Bester' (September 2025). More about the book: Nicole Engelbrecht is back with a new book that delves into the cold cases of her phenomenally popular True Crime SA podcast. In Bare Bones, she re-examines missing and murder cases she has covered in her podcast series, and revisits the leads and the interviews she conducted. Much of the information has never been made public before. From the bones of a Jane Doe discovered under a swimming pool to a troubled young man who seemed to vanish in the prison system, from a business trip turned deadly to a child snatched from outside her home, Engelbrecht sifts the evidence anew and shines a light on old and new unsolved cases in the hope of bringing closure to the victims’ families and friends. Join her in the search for the truth behind the scenes of the podcast desk. #TrueCrimeSA #BareBonesBook #NicoleEngelbrecht #PagecastPodcast #SouthAfricanPodcast #TrueCrimeCommunity #ColdCases #PodcastInterview #NetflixDirector #CrimeBook

In this episode of Pagecast, Rorisang Tshabalala interviews Nozipho Tshabalala about her book, After the Fires: Unlocking the Power of Letting Go. More about the book: When the flames of life’s challenges have swept through you, who do you become from the ashes? Nozipho Tshabalala is a high-performing, excellence-driven, successful black woman. Being in control of everything in her life was crucial to her survival and success. For the most part, it had always served her well – until it didn’t. In this captivating and deeply personal memoir, conversation strategist Nozipho invites you into her world – one shaped by political violence, professional triumphs on global stages and the intimate battles with loss that would test her most fundamental beliefs. Now in her 40s, she has realised that what she needed most to survive may not be what she needs to thrive. After the Fires is a call to reclaim the narrative amid life’s unexpected turns. It honours the complexity of womanhood while celebrating the possibility of becoming exactly who you were meant to be, even when that person looks nothing like what you imagined. With vulnerability and wisdom, Nozipho demonstrates how surrender becomes not an act of defeat but a pathway to freedom. Her story reminds us that sometimes our greatest strength lies not in holding tighter but in opening our hands to release what no longer serves us. #memoir #AfterTheFires #lettinggo #womenauthors #personalgrowth #inspirationalbook #NoziphoTshabalala #Pagecast #resilience

In hierdie episode van Pagecast gesels Bouwer Bosch met Springbok rugbyspeler Eben Etzebeth oor sy outobiografie, Ten Slotte.  Eben Etzebeth is die speler wat al die meeste toetswedstryde in Suid-Afrikaanse rugbygeskiedenis gespeel het. Op die veld word hierdie slot se intelligensie, energie en aggressie gerespekteer en bewonder. Hy is lid van die senior Springbok-leierskapspan, en speel ’n groot rol in ’n ongelooflik suksesvolle era wat twee agtereenvolgende Wêreldbekers en die groep se huidige posisie van twee jaar boaan die wêreldranglys insluit. In hierdie eerlike en onderhoudende vertelling beskryf Eben van die vernaamste faktore van sy sukses, en hoe hy gefokus bly – op en van die veld af. Van sy nederige kinderjare in Goodwood – ’n voorstad van Kaapstad waar niks maklik kom nie – regdeur sy vroeë klubloopbaan, tot by sy swaar verdiende plek in die Suid-Afrikaanse nasionale span, vertel Ten Slotte die persoonlike kant van sy loopbaan, en wat dit geverg het om ’n wêreldkampioen te word.

In this episode of Pagecast, Lundi Khoisan Cavernelis interviews Reggie Peace about his inspiring memoir, Vredemaker. At 13, Reggie found refuge in a children's home that gave him stability and a chance to excel. Yet, he battled inner dissatisfaction and a longing for acceptance until he faced a life-changing choice: to choose life or a slow death. Reggie’s powerful story of hardship, hope, and resilience reveals how faith in Christ helped him overcome challenges and emerge stronger. #Vredemaker #ReggiePeace #LundiCavernelis #Pagecast #MemoirPodcast #SouthAfricanAuthors #FaithAndHope #OvercomingAdversity #InspirationalStories

In this episode of Pagecast, Mike Nicol sits down with David Cornwell to discuss his gripping new novel, Hell of a Country. This reimagining of a true crime story from 1970s South Africa explores the intense and dark tale of Lorraine van Niekerk, a teenager trapped in a toxic relationship with her married lover. When her life crosses paths with Alfie Geemooi, a recent amputee, Lorraine hatches a dangerous plan that leads to murder. Dive into this haunting story of love, betrayal, and the high price one may pay. #HellOfACountry #DavidCornwell #MikeNicol #TrueCrimeSA #SouthAfricanFiction #CrimeNovel #BookPodcast #1970sSouthAfrica #Pagecast #LiteraryPodcast

Dive into the latest episode of Pagecast as Tessa Barlin chats with Veruska De Vita about her new book, Deep Blue. Discover why the sea captivates us, how cold water plunging boosts wellness, and the urgent impact of climate change on our oceans. From free divers to scientists, this conversation explores our profound connection with saltwater and the joy it brings. Perfect for sea lovers and curious minds alike. #DeepBlueBook #OceanLove #ColdWaterTherapy #FreeDivingLife #ClimateChangeAwareness #SwimmingWellness #MarineConservation #SaltwaterHealing #PagecastPodcast #VeruskaDeVita

Pagecast was at the 2025 Open Book Festival, where we spoke with authors about their writing journeys and the stories they share with readers. In this episode, Bongani Kona interviews Rémy Ngamije about his new book, Only Stars Know the Meaning of Space. Presented as a literary mixtape, Only Stars Know the Meaning of Space is a work that provides you with a uniquely modern reading experience. The A-Side, read as one narrative, tells the story of a soon-to-be thirty-year-old aspiring writer navigating a complicated world. The B-Side, taken as a separate experience, features (seemingly) independent and unrelated short stories. There’s “Crunchy, Green Apples (or, Omo)”, a story about loss told by the strangest of narrative devices: a shopping list. “Sofa, So Good, Sort Of (or, John Muafangejo)” is a first-person account of a family’s history and a long journey towards hope. A group of friends attempts to navigate a recent breakup in “From the Lost City of Hurtlantis to the Streets of Helldorado (or, Franco).” When read together, however, a third world emerges—a complex, intergenerational, and interconnected “journey across all genres” (Mukoma Wa Ngugi, author of Unbury Our Dead with Song) that will stay with you long after you turn the final page. Thank you to our furniture sponsor, Zorora: https://zororasofas.co.za/ #PagecastPodcast #OpenBookFestival #SouthAfricanBooks #BookInterviews #BookPodcast

Pagecast was at the 2025 Open Book Festival, where we spoke with authors about their writing journeys and the stories they share with readers. In this episode, Wamuwi Mbao interviews Siphokazi Jonas about her poetry collection, Weeping Becomes a River. Siphokazi Jonas is a weaver of seemingly discordant worlds; growing up in an Afrikaans dorpie, attending an English boarding school, and going on annual holidays to a village emaXhoseni during the transition years of South Africa’s democracy made this a necessity. In Weeping Becomes a River she confronts the linguistic and cultural alienation experienced as a black learner in former Model C schools in the 1990s and early 2000s, then fashions the fragments to reclaim and rewrite her place within a lineage of storytellers. Migrating between forms, between poetry and intsomi, she navigates the waters of tradition, religion, intergenerational experiences of rural and urban spaces, and the ways in which family dynamics affect the body. She is not only a referee of the raging tensions within her, but she also pieces together a language for pathways of leaving and returning. Her poems grapple with the past, the present, and possible futures without forgetting that “the body is marked territory from birth, and the scent of it never leaves”. Thank you to our furniture sponsor, Zorora: https://zororasofas.co.za/ #PagecastPodcast #OpenBookFestival #SouthAfricanBooks #BookInterviews #BookPodcast

Pagecast was at the 2025 Open Book Festival, where we spoke with authors about their writing journeys and the stories they share with readers. In this episode, Sindiswa Busuku-Mathese interviews Nick Mulgrew about his latest collection, The Book of Unrest, as well as the launch of his new press, Batis Books, which is based in Edinburgh. More about The Book of Unrest: An ocean of floodwater. Shipwrecked toddlers. Skeletons that rise from pristine beaches. In his second book of poems, Nick Mulgrew confronts the natural and human disasters of the eastern South African coast – and, in the process, himself. An unflinching examination of ancestry and place, of ruined childhoods and a troubled present, The Book of Unrest conjures a world of alternating beauty and horror; a series of tainted land-, city and seascapes, increasingly hostile to those living in them. Drawing upon the wisdom of other Durban writers, Mulgrew interrogates the purposes of poetry and politics in such a fraught time and place. Can our traumas be learned from, or do they only shackle us to the past? In turns elegiac and nihilistic, witty and desperate, sprawling and precise, these poems sift through personal and collective histories of mistrust and violence, to find what, if anything, can bring us rest. Thank you to our furniture sponsor, Zorora: https://zororasofas.co.za/ #PagecastPodcast #OpenBookFestival #SouthAfricanBooks #BookInterviews #BookPodcast

Pagecast was at the 2025 Open Book Festival, where we spoke with authors about their writing journeys and the stories they share with readers. In this episode, Bongani Kona interviews Frankie Murrey about her latest work, A Collection of Gaps. There’s this moon in the sky. And I want to say – not now, moon, I’ve got work to do. But you know the moon. She never listens. So I sit and watch her for a while. Admire those curves. Whisper secrets and cigarette smoke love. — from ‘Letter to the Night’ Thank you to our furniture sponsor, Zorora: https://zororasofas.co.za/ #PagecastPodcast #OpenBookFestival #SouthAfricanBooks #BookInterviews #BookPodcast

Pagecast was at the 2025 Open Book Festival, where we spoke with authors about their writing journeys and the stories they share with readers. In this episode, Sindiswa Busuku-Mathese interviews Sarah Uheida about her debut poetry collection, Not This Tender. Sarah Uheida’s Not This Tender is a profound exploration of memory, navigating the war-torn landscapes of North Africa, which she was forced to flee as a child. The collection offers a mythical yet deeply personal examination of longing and belonging, estrangement, loss, and the influence of family and language, conveyed through immersive portraits and the perspective of a fractured landscape. Thank you to our furniture sponsor, Zorora: https://zororasofas.co.za/ #PagecastPodcast #OpenBookFestival #SouthAfricanBooks #BookInterviews #BookPodcast