PAGECAST

Episoder

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  Zama Zama by Graeme Coetzer (with Chris Gibbons) 03.08.2026 27min

  "It looked apocalyptic." Veteran journalist Chris Gibbons sits down with journalist, TV producer and best-selling author Graeme Coetzer for a gripping conversation on Zama Zama: Inside the Illicit Mining Underworld. Together they unpack fifteen years of investigation into South Africa's illegal gold economy: from the desperate miners going underground to earn a wage, to the organised crime syndicates making billions off their labour. Graeme describes the astonishing VAT scam that saw stolen gold sold at a premium, the cottage industry of forged invoices and stolen ID books propping it up, and how a single company was accused of laundering an estimated 22 billion rand through the racket. He also revisits the tragedy at Buffelsfontein, where 74 people died underground, and shares the surreal story of one Zama who climbed 1.5 kilometres up an abandoned shaft to save his own life. Graeme Coetzer's new book is Zama Zama: Inside the Illicit Mining Underworld. Graeme Coetzer is a journalist, TV producer and best-selling author whose long-form investigations for Carte Blanche have delved into every layer of South Africa's illicit mining world. Chris Gibbons is a veteran South African journalist and broadcaster.
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  Six Days in Bombay by Alka Joshi (with Joanne Joseph) 27.07.2026 25min

  "I love this phrase you've used - explain ourselves to ourselves." Joanne Joseph sits down with best-selling author Alka Joshi for a rich, expansive conversation on Six Days in Bombay. Together they unpack why Alka only came to novel writing later in life, the mother whose real story became the seed of The Henna Artist, and the painter Amrita Sher-Gil, "the Frida Kahlo of India", whose bold, uncompromising life inspired the character of Mira. They talk about the responsibility of writing historical fiction with care, the meticulous research behind Alka's immersive worlds, and the layered ways women in her novels travel outward to find their way back to themselves. It's also a wider conversation about heritage, colonisation, and why literature matters as a tool for explaining ourselves to ourselves. Alka Joshi's new book is Six Days in Bombay. Inspired by the life of Amrita Sher-Gil, it follows nurse Sona as she carries a cryptic note and four paintings across a Europe teetering toward war, in search of the truth about the woman who left them in her care, and about herself. Alka Joshi is the best-selling author of The Henna Artist and the Jaipur Trilogy. Her books have been translated into nearly 30 languages. Joanne Joseph is a TV and radio presenter, producer, and writer, and the author of Children of Sugarcane and Drug Muled.
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  The Persian by David McCloskey (with Lester Kiewit) 20.07.2026 33min

  What happens when a former CIA analyst turns his hand to fiction? Lester Kiewit chats to David McCloskey about The Persian, a sophisticated, atmospheric thriller that pulls readers deep into the shadow war between Iran and Israel, and the human cost of living a double life. David McCloskey's new book is The Persian. Layered with intrigue, shifting loyalties and geopolitical danger, the novel follows Kamran Esfahani, an Iranian dentist recruited by the Mossad, whose life unravels after a single operation goes terribly wrong. Smart, fast-paced and atmospheric, it's a compelling read for fans of intelligent spy fiction. David McCloskey is a former CIA analyst and best-selling author of intelligent spy fiction. Lester Kiewit is the host of the CapeTalk Breakfast show.
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  A Food Love Story by Onezwa Mbola (with Star Senamile Shongwe) 13.07.2026 28min

  In this episode of Pagecast, food enthusiast, recipe creator, and social media sensation Onezwa Mbola joins storyteller and marketing professional Star Senamile Shongwe for a warm conversation about her debut book, A Food Love Story. Onezwa traces her culinary journey from her mother's kitchen in a rural Eastern Cape seaside village, through destinations around the world, and back home again - a story about how food connects us to the people and places we love most. As a mother, she shares that love with her son and with the million-plus followers who have made her one of South Africa's most beloved voices in home cooking. A Food Love Story is filled with wholesome recipes and the kind of warmth that makes you want to head straight to the kitchen. A Food Love Story is out now and available at all good bookstores.
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  On the Sponge Islands by Julia Martin (with Prof David Attwell) 06.07.2026 30min

  In this episode of Pagecast, South African writer Julia Martin joins Professor David Attwell, Professor of English at the University of York, for a reflective conversation about her latest book, On the Sponge Islands: Loss and Restoration in the Aegean. The book follows Julia's journey through the Greek islands of the Dodecanese - Rhodes, Symi, Halki, Kalymnos, and Patmos - tracing the cultural and ecological legacy of sponge diving. For centuries, men from these islands had dived for sea sponges and traded them across the world. In the late nineteenth century, new deep-sea diving suits made it possible to harvest the seabed at an unprecedented scale, bringing home extraordinary wealth - and at extraordinary cost, in lives lost and ecosystems stripped bare. On the Sponge Islands is a meditation on beauty and suffering, abundance and collapse, and what it means to restore what has been lost - both in the natural world and in ourselves. Julia Martin is a South African writer and academic known for her work at the intersection of ecology, place, and contemplative practice. On the Sponge Islands is out now and available at all good bookstores.
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  Where to From Here? by Tara Roos (with Twanji Kalula) 29.06.2026 36min

  In this episode of Pagecast, political analyst Tara Roos joins Twanji Kalula for a sharp, no-nonsense conversation about her new book, Where to From Here?, and what it reveals about the state of South African politics. Roos argues that South Africa has entered an age of uncertainty, as populism rises and a new, unstable coalition era takes hold. She unpacks the structural weaknesses, strategic miscalculations, and identity crises within political parties, sorting them into three categories: Winners, Losers, and Survivors, and explains what each is getting right, where they are failing, and why some have grown while others have collapsed. Thirty years into South Africa's democracy, Where to From Here? is a clear-eyed account of how politicians have failed the people, and a challenge to the electorate to demand better. Tara Roos is one of the leading political thinkers of her generation. Twanji Kalula is a Cape Town-based communications professional, media practitioner, and joint chairperson of the Cape Town Press Club, widely known for hosting and moderating South African literary, cultural, and current affairs events. Where to From Here? is out now and available at all good bookstores.
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  The House of Doors by Tan Twan Eng (with Mphuthumi Ntabeni) 22.06.2026 29min

  In this episode of Pagecast, Man Booker Prize-shortlisted author Tan Twan Eng joins Cape Town-based political commentator and writer Mphuthumi Ntabeni for a conversation about his latest novel, The House of Doors. Set in 1921 at Cassowary House in the Straits Settlements of Penang, the novel follows Robert Hamlyn, a well-to-do lawyer, and his steely wife Lesley, whose lives are upended by the arrival of an old friend, Willie Somerset Maugham. One of the great writers of his day, Willie is privately beleaguered by an unhappy marriage, failing health, and a struggle to write. As Lesley's friendship with him deepens, she sees him more clearly for who he truly is -- and finds herself sharing secrets of her own, including her connection to the revolutionary Dr Sun Yat Sen and a scandalous murder case in the Kuala Lumpur courts. Drawn from real events, The House of Doors is a masterful exploration of public morality and private truth, set against the shadow of empire -- a story of love, betrayal, and the masks we wear to survive. Tan Twan Eng is the bestselling author of The Garden of Evening Mists. The House of Doors is out now and available at all good bookstores.
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  Cape Fever by Nadia Davids (with Gabeba Baderoon) 15.06.2026 40min

  In this episode of Pagecast, South African playwright and novelist Nadia Davids joins renowned poet and scholar Gabeba Baderoon for a conversation about her latest novel, Cape Fever. Cape Fever follows Soraya Matas, a young maid who takes up a position in the beautiful, decaying home of the eccentric Mrs. Hattingh - not far from the Muslim Quarter where she lives with her parents. What begins as a practical arrangement slowly unravels into something far stranger: a ritual of dictated letters, restless spirits, and a bond between two women that threatens the sanity of both. Set in an unnamed colonial city and drawing on gothic themes, folk tales, and psychological suspense, Cape Fever has been compared to the work of Silvia Moreno-Garcia and Daphne du Maurier. It is a story of love and grief, class and power, and the long reach of history into the lives of those history forgets. Nadia Davids is an award-winning South African author and playwright. Cape Fever is her latest novel and is available now at all good bookstores.
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  Pagecast at Kingsmead Book Fair: Mandy Weiner 09.06.2026 6min

  Pagecast recorded live at the Kingsmead Book Fair, where Mandy Weiner sat down with Shakti Pillay from Jonathan Ball Publishers to talk about her latest book, The Deal. In this episode, Mandy pulls back the curtain on the story behind the book -- the kind of deep, forensic storytelling that has made her one of the most trusted voices in South African media. Mandy Weiner is the host of The Midday Report on 702 and Cape Talk, a weekly columnist for EWN, and an award-winning author. Known for her rigorous investigative journalism and her ability to make complex stories accessible, Mandy has built a reputation as a fearless chronicler of South African public life. The Deal is out now and available at all good bookstores.
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  Pagecast at Kingsmead Book Fair: Nozipho Tshabalala 08.06.2026 16min

  Pagecast recorded live at the Kingsmead Book Fair, where Nozipho Tshabalala sat down with Mpumi Mgidlana from Jonathan Ball Publishers to talk about her memoir, After the Fires: Unlocking the Power of Letting Go. In this episode, Nozipho reflects on the question at the heart of her book: when the flames of life's challenges have swept through you, who do you become from the ashes? It is a conversation about grief, surrender, and the unexpected freedom that comes from letting go. Nozipho Tshabalala is a globally sought-after conversation strategist who has facilitated presidential and executive conversations for the World Bank, UN agencies, and governments around the world. In After the Fires, she turns that same lens on her own life -- tracing her journey from the loss of her mother at the height of her career, to a profound reckoning with control, identity, and what it truly means to thrive. After the Fires: Unlocking the Power of Letting Go is published by Jonathan Ball Publishers, which is celebrating 50 years in South African publishing this year. The book is out now and available at all good bookstores.
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  Pagecast at the Kingsmead Book Fair: Sally Andrew 05.06.2026 11min

  Pagecast recorded live at the Kingsmead Book Fair, where Sally Andrew sat down with Faye Knight from Jonathan Ball Publishers to talk about the latest instalment in her beloved Tannie Maria mystery series, Wild Things Never Die. In this episode, Sally shares what keeps drawing her back to Tannie Maria -- and what readers can expect from the fifth book in the series. Sally Andrew is the best-selling author of the award-winning Tannie Maria mystery novels, which have been translated into fifteen languages and adapted into an international television series. She lives with her artist partner in a mud-brick house on a nature reserve in the Klein Karoo, and holds a master's in Adult Education from the University of Cape Town. A former social and environmental activist, she now writes, cooks, does Biofield Tuning, and is training to be a doowop girl. The Tannie Maria series includes Recipes for Love and Murder, The Satanic Mechanic, Death on the Limpopo, and The Milk Tart Murders. Sally has also published a cookbook, Recipes to Live For. Wild Things Never Die is the fifth instalment in the series and is out now at all good bookstores.
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  Pagecast at Kingsmead Book Fair: Caitlin Venniker 04.06.2026 6min

  Pagecast recorded live at the Kingsmead Book Fair, where Caitlin Venniker sat down with Kelly Mawa from Jonathan Ball Publishers to talk about her debut book, Unleashed. In this episode, Caitlin shares the stories and experiences behind the book -- a candid look at life as a South African vet navigating two worlds, and the rescue animals who have found their way into her heart along the way. Caitlin Venniker is a South African vet and award-winning writer who divides her time between South Africa and the Middle East. She shares her life with a collection of rescue animals, including a scruffy desert dog and a one-eared cat. Unleashed is her debut book. Unleashed is out now and available at all good bookstores.
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  Pagecast at Kingsmead Book Fair: Karabo Poppy 03.06.2026 12min

  Pagecast recorded live at the Kingsmead Book Fair, where Karabo Poppy sat down with Gontse Mosiane from Jonathan Ball Publishers to talk about her latest book, Hugged by The Night. In this episode, Karabo shares the vision and inspiration behind the work -- a celebration of the African aesthetic told through bold, contemporary illustration. Karabo Poppy Moletsane was born in 1992 in Vereeniging, South Africa. She is an illustrator, graphic designer, and road artist based in Johannesburg, and is passionate about the preservation of the African aesthetic. Her work explores rich narratives with a contemporary and bold visual language that has earned her recognition both locally and internationally. Hugged by The Night is available now at all good bookstores.
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  Pagecast at Kingsmead Book Fair: David Mann 02.06.2026 13min

  Pagecast recorded live at the Kingsmead Book Fair, where David Mann sat down with Maryam Adams from Jonathan Ball Publishers to discuss his debut short fiction collection, Once Removed. In this episode, David reflects on the stories behind the collection -- a sharply observed body of work that has already made its mark on the South African literary landscape. David Mann is an award-winning writer, editor, and art critic who has written and edited for numerous art publications. He currently works as writer for the arts incubator The Centre for the Less Good Idea, and is a co-founder of Writers' Block, a Johannesburg-based arts writing collective. His short stories have appeared in local and international journals including Strange Matters (USA), Portside Review (AU), and Imbiza Journal (SA), among others. Once Removed was published in 2024 by Botsotso. It won the Thomas Pringle Short Story Prize and was shortlisted for both the NHISS Award and the Nadine Gordimer Award for best short story collection. Once Removed is available now at all good bookstores.
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  Pagecast at Kingsmead Book Fair: Lebo Mazibuko 01.06.2026 14min

  Pagecast recorded live at the Kingsmead Book Fair, where Lebo Mazibuko sat down with Zwanga Nemanshi from Jonathan Ball Publishers for a candid conversation about her latest novel, Fabrics of Love. In this episode, Lebo reflects on the stories and inspirations behind the book - a moving exploration of love, identity, and the threads that connect us. Lebo Mazibuko was born in Johannesburg and is currently based in Cape Town. She began her career in theatre before turning her focus to writing, and holds an MA in Creative Writing from the University of Cape Town. Her debut novel, Bantu Knots, was shortlisted for the K. Sello Duiker Memorial Award at the South African Literary Awards in 2022. Fabrics of Love is her most recent work. Fabrics of Love is out now and available at all good bookstores.
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  Pagecast at Franschhoek Literary Festival - Joy Watson in conversation with Karina Magdalena Szczurek 17.05.2026 14min

  “When love hurts, what remains of who we are?” In the final live Pagecast episode from the Franschhoek Literary Festival, Joy Watson sits down with Karina Magdalena Szczurek for a thoughtful conversation about Because I Love You, Joy’s latest book exploring gender, power, violence, and the complicated realities of love through the stories of three women. Drawing from her work as a researcher, writer, and feminist storyteller, Watson reflects on the difficult questions the book asks about relationships, identity, survival, and what happens when love becomes harmful.
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  Pagecast at Franschhoek Literary Festival - Charlotte Bauer in conversation with Veruska de Vita 17.05.2026 14min

  Live from the Franschhoek Literary Festival Pagecast Studio, Veruska De Vita speaks to Charlotte Bauer about Deep Blue. Veruska De Vita is the author of Deep Blue, a love letter to the sea that explores humanity’s deep connection with water and the bliss of swimming, diving, dipping, and simply being in salt water. The latest episode of Pagecast, recorded live from the Franschhoek Literary Festival, is out now.
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  Pagecast at Franschhoek Literary Festival - Paige Nick in conversation with Bronwyn Williams 16.05.2026 16min

  Live from the Franschhoek Literary Festival Pagecast Studio, Bronwyn Williams and Paige Nick are in conversation about AI, the economy, and the trajectories shaping the years ahead, in a way that actually makes sense. Bronwyn Williams's new book is The Future. Bronwyn Williams is a futurist, economist and business-trends analyst. She is the co-author of The Future Starts Now, Rescuing Our Republic and The Future, a columnist for leading business and technology publications, and a well-known global keynote speaker and media commentator on future trends and economic trajectories. Paige Nick is a South African novelist, columnist, and advertising copywriter. She founded The Good Book Appreciation Society on Facebook, and has co-authored A Girl Walks Into a Bar, a series of choose-your-own-adventure erotic novels.
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  Pagecast at Franschhoek Literary Festival - Sarah Bullen in conversation with Bridget McNulty 16.05.2026 12min

  A little reminder to look up. Live from the Franschhoek Literary Festival Pagecast Studio, Bridget McNulty and Sarah Bullen are in conversation about the small, glimmering moments that make up a year, and the practice of noticing them. Bridget McNulty's new book is Daily Glimmers: The Art of Finding Tiny Joys Every Day of the Year. Bridget McNulty began her career as a magazine journalist and has since written the novel Strange Nervous Laughter, The Grief Handbook, and her most recent book, Daily Glimmers. After being diagnosed with diabetes, Bridget co-founded the NGO Sweet Life Diabetes Community, through which she publishes books and a regular magazine. She also co-founded Now Novel, an online writing course. Sarah Bullen is a multi-published author and renowned writing coach who leads international writing retreats and adventures in Europe and Africa. A former financial and magazine journalist, her most recent book The Other Side delves into stories of near-death experiences and spiritual encounters. Sarah's work reflects her passion for storytelling and exploration of the human spirit.
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  Pagecast at Franschhoek Literary Festival - Africa Melane in conversation with Fehmz 16.05.2026 13min

  This one's pure joy. Live from the Franschhoek Literary Festival Pagecast Studio, Africa Melane and Fehmz get into food, family, and the stories behind the recipes, and you can hear the laughter from a mile off. Fehmz's debut cookbook Damn Good Food features over 80 recipes. Fehmz is a city girl from Johannesburg chasing her dreams as a food, lifestyle and travel influencer. She is a strong believer in keeping things real and authentic, and her vibrant personality infuses every recipe with energy, colour, and bold flavours inspired by her Muslim heritage. Africa Melane is a South African broadcaster, journalist, and moderator known for hosting the Early Breakfast Show on both CapeTalk and 702. He is admired for his measured, inquisitive, and respectful interview style, and brings more than a decade of experience in South African broadcasting.