PAGECAST

"The sweep of it, seeing all those years, is quite extraordinary for an artist." Internationally renowned South African artist Penny Siopis sits down with Sue Williamson for a wide-ranging conversation on her new book There's Something I Must Tell You, published to accompany her landmark retrospective at the Iziko South African National Gallery. The exhibition filled eight rooms and the atrium, and traced nearly fifty years of practice. Together they walk through what it means to see a lifetime of work hung together, from the earliest district-six work of the early 1980s through the apartheid years, the TRC-era Truth Games, reflections on colonialism, and intergenerational conversations between the mothers of the Mandela generation and their granddaughters. Sue Williamson's new book is There's Something I Must Tell You, a beautifully illustrated catalogue of her 2025 retrospective at the Iziko South African National Gallery, featuring essays by Sean O'Toole, Zoé Whitley and Sixolise Sigolo. Sue Williamson is one of South Africa's most esteemed artists, internationally renowned for her work. She lives and works in Cape Town. Her 1989 book Resistance Art in South Africa was the first to document the role of South African artists in the struggle against apartheid. Penny Siopis is a South African artist based in Cape Town and one of the country's most important contemporary voices.

"There was a job to be done." Legendary Springbok coach Nick Mallett sits down with former Springbok prop Steven Kitshoff for a rich, generous conversation on his new memoir Kitsie: Memoir of a Bomb-Squad Bok. They unpack the origins of the Bomb Squad — the name that came from a Wilder–Tyson press conference, the alignment inside the squad that made it work, and the selfless conversations that decided who would start and who would finish. Kitshoff reflects on being told he'd never play for the Boks, the call from Allister Coetzee that turned him and Amy around on a French motorway, and the culture of role clarity that turned three world-class props into an unstoppable unit alongside Malcolm Marx and Vincent Koch. Steven Kitshoff's new book is Kitsie: Memoir of a Bomb-Squad Bok, written with best-selling author Michael Vlismas. The memoir takes readers behind one of rugby's greatest careers — from schoolboy prodigy to two-time Rugby World Cup champion — and features personal recollections from Rassie Erasmus, Tendai "The Beast" Mtawarira and others. Steven Kitshoff is a former Springbok prop and two-time Rugby World Cup winner, admired both on and off the field for his discipline, humility and unwavering commitment to his team. Nick Mallett is a former Springbok head coach, rugby analyst and one of the most respected voices in the South African game.

"An opportunity to hold and be held." This one is a joy from start to finish. Chef, food stylist and best-selling cookbook author Zola Nene sits down with Chef Nokx Majozi for a conversation that feels less like an interview and more like two sisters at the kitchen table. Together they unpack Nokx's beautiful debut, The South African Cookbook, and why it exists: the years of travelling the world and finding no book on South African food, the gap she quietly decided to fill, and the immense pride of her mother inviting the neighbours over to hold the book. They talk about the influences of both parents in her kitchen, the shouting culture Nokx refuses to carry forward, and what it means to lead a team with kindness rather than fear. Nokx Majozi's new book is The South African Cookbook, out now in-store and online across South Africa, the UK and EU. Nokx Majozi is Chef-in-Residence at Fallow restaurant in London and a proud ambassador for South African cuisine on the global stage. Zola Nene is a chef, food stylist, TV personality, and best-selling cookbook author. Her latest book is Simply More Zola.

For the final episode of Pagecast at the 2026 Open Book Festival, Letlhogonolo Mokgoroane is joined by Athi-Patra Ruga. Athi-Patra Ruga is a South African multidisciplinary artist whose work explores archives, spirituality, colonial histories and speculative world-building across performance, film, tapestry, sculpture and installation. He is also the co-founder of Victory of the Word (VOW), a non-profit arts and research organisation focused on reimagining Southern African knowledge systems. Letlhogonolo Mokgoroane is a practising advocate and also a part-time in-counsel at the Centre for Applied Legal Studies at the University of the Witwatersrand. They were named one of the Top 200 Young South Africans in 2018. In 2022, they formed part of the judging panel for the AKO Caine Prize for African Writing. #AthiPartaRuga #VictoryoftheWord #OpenBookFestival

Natalie Sifuma is a Kenyan writer, researcher, and consultant currently based in Cape Town. She is the founder of Sisters in Climate — a Pan-African climate initiative — and is completing an MPhil in Inclusive Innovation at UCT’s Graduate School of Business, with a focus on social impact, climate, and gender across Africa. She is also a 2026 BOOKED Trips Fellow, weaving together literary culture and travel as a form of place-based storytelling. Letlhogonolo Mokgoroane is a practising advocate and also a part-time in-counsel at the Centre for Applied Legal Studies at the University of the Witwatersrand. They were named one of the top 200 Young South Africans in 2018. In 2022, they formed part of the judging panel for the Ako Caine Prize for African Writing. #Pagecast #NatalieSifuma #ClimateActivism #OpenBookFestival