The Cheeky Natives

Dr Kopano Matlwa: Bosadi 17.04.2026 36min

Send us Fan Mail Most women endure silence and sacrifice because of societal expectations — but what if that silence is a form of violence? Dr. Kopano Matlwa, acclaimed author and public health physician, unpacks the hidden costs of womanhood, the trauma of Gender Based Violence, and the myth of the perfect family in her powerful novel Bosadi. This conversation challenges us to confront uncomfortable truths and rethink the narratives we’ve inherited about gender, resilience, and surviva...

Nadia Davids: Cape Fever 20.03.2026 52min

Send us Fan Mail We sat down with Nadia Davis, author of Cape Fever, to honour the quiet strength and resilience that hidden stories bring to our lives. In a beautifully tender conversation, we explored themes of silent resistance, personal empowerment, and the power of internal archives. We explored narratives that challenge conventional tales of survival and authentic connection. Nadia reflected on her journey—from a storyteller navigating silencing systems to an author em...

Siphokazi Jonas: Weeping Becomes a River 06.03.2026 46min

Send us Fan Mail We sat down with Siphokazi Jonas, author of "Weeping Becomes a River," to honour the wisdom and relatability that poetry brings to our lives. Together, we explored themes of cultural reclamation, personal transformation, and linguistic identity. Our conversation journeyed through narratives that challenge traditional tales of resilience and genuine connection. Siphokazi reflected on her evolution—from a poet navigating discordant worlds to a storyteller embracing her he...

Zibu Sithole: Love, Zola 06.02.2026 43min

Send us Fan Mail In the final installation of the acclaimed trilogy, Zibu Sithole, the acclaimed author of the beloved Zola series, reveals why she’s choosing to tell stories of gentle, soft Black love. We journeyed with characters who challenged the traditional narratives of suffering and resilience by prioritising self-love and genuine connection. In a heartfelt conversation, Zibu reflects on Zola’s incredible evolution from a self-centred dreamer to a woman embracing her independence and ...

Frank Thabani Sayi: No Safer Kinder Hatred: How Racial Hatred and Ethnic Violence Shaped Zimbabwe 23.01.2026 53min

Send us Fan Mail Frank Sayi grew up in Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe, in the 1970s. His childhood straddled two very significant periods in his country's history, both of which heavily influenced his memoir. The first was the war of liberation (1975-1979), closely followed by the post-independence internecine war (1981-1987). Frank and his two older sisters, Thoko and Gift, lived with their grandmother, a stern, wise, mercurial matriarch, capable of intimidating severity, and her son Uncle Sami whi...

Nozipho Tshabalala: After the Fires 07.11.2025 57min

Send us Fan Mail As a high-performing, excellence-driven, successful black woman, being in control of everything in her life was crucial to her survival and success for Nozipho Tshabalala. For much of her life, it had always served her well until it no longer did. The book begins with her receiving the news of her mother’s passing while she stood on the biggest stage of her career. This formative event sends her into a spiral which asks her to reevaluate her ideas of success and the p...

Andile Cele: Braids & Migraines 06.09.2025 39min

Send us Fan Mail In the captivating 100th episode, we engaged in a profound conversation with Andile Cele, the author of the compelling debut novel Braids and Migraines. This enlightening discussion delved into a rich exploration of identity, mental health, and the complexity of human relationships. Braids and Migraines chronicles the journey of a young girl navigating life in a post-apartheid township while battling personal and societal challenges. Despite the promise of a post-racial So...

Djamila Ribeiro: Where We Stand 15.08.2025 57min

Send us Fan Mail “Part theory, part manifesto, part history” – this book sparked a black feminist movement in Brazil. Patricia Hill Collins writes: “Where We Stand boldly claims a space for Black feminism in Brazil. This long-awaited translation offers new audiences a rare opportunity to encounter the rich ideas of an emerging generation of Black women academics and activists who are fearless in pushing for social change.” Djamila Ribeiro is an activist, writer and coordinator of the Plural ...

Onyi Nwabineli: Allow Me to Introduce Myself 11.07.2025 54min

Send us Fan Mail In a world where the lines between privacy and exposure blur increasingly, Onyi Nwabineli's latest novel, "Allow Me to Introduce Myself," offers a profound exploration of identity, familial bonds, and the often untidy experiences of coming of age. The novel centers around the complex world of Anuri, a child raised in the public eye as the offspring of a popular mommy blogger. It is with this backdrop that discussions about identity, the cost of lost privacy, and the pu...

Obligations to the Wounded: Mubanga Kalimamukwento 21.06.2025 50min

Send us Fan Mail We sat down for a candid and vulnerable discussion on rebellion, compliance and the intricacies of language and place with Mubanga Kalimamukwento, author of the prize winning Obligations to the Wounded. The collection transcends physical spaces and time with Mubanga navigating the interplay of memory and geographical place. Her stories, woven in rich narratives, explore the landscapes and lives of Zambian women. In an ode to a rich oratory history we explored literary d...

Abi Daré: And So I Roar 30.05.2025 37min

Send us Fan Mail In ‘The Girl With The Louding Voice’, the book ends with Adunni winning the scholarship and her dream of school seems close to fruition. In this triumphant book that breaks the curse of the sophomore novel, Adunni and Ms Tia are back. This story unfolds over the course of 24 hours, with Adunni being forced to return to her home village just hours before the new school year commences. As Adunni returns to Ikati, she meets other young women and girls who are simil...

Zukiswa Wanner: Love Marry Kill 18.04.2025 48min

Send us Fan Mail In Zukiswa Wanner’s latest novel, we are confronted with couples battling secrets, betrayals and endings. This book is a meditation on the weight of betrayal, difficult choices and navigating moral quandaries. The characters are flawed, making bad choices and yet still remain relatable. This page turner deftly manages to deal with a wealth of topics including gendered social behaviour, infidelity and difficult choices. We meet Akani and Owami, who are battling interpersonal...

Iris Mwanza: The Lions’ Den 28.03.2025 43min

Send us Fan Mail Set in Zambia, this novel introduces us to a young lawyer, named Grace and her client Wilbess (Bessy). After a string of unfortunate events, Bessy has been arrested for having sex with another man. A crime according to Zambian laws which prohibit same sex relations. Following Grace’s initial visit, Bessy disappears from custody without a trace. Thus begins Grace’s fight for justice and reform of a system which subjects the most vulnerable individuals to systemic vi...

Aiwanose Odafen: We Were Girls Once 21.02.2025 58min

Send us Fan Mail We Were Girls Once is the sequel to Tomorrow I Become a Woman, honing in on the lives of Ego, Zina, and Eriife, the daughters of Uju, Chinelo, and Adaugo from the first book. It explores their journey of they transition from being girls to women. Ego, who moves to the United Kingdom to further her studies but despite experiencing relative success while working in a firm, she is constantly haunted by past: familial and institutional violence and its ripple effects. Ego is a w...

Professor Barbara Boswell: The Comrade's Wife 31.01.2025 1t 9min

Send us Fan Mail The Comrade’s Wife follows a turbulent marriage between a rising politician and an academic, told through her life and lens. The novel features a whirlwind romance between a charming rapscallion and a maiden fair who has been wronged in her past. With deliciously crafted sentences, Boswell's prose is thought-provoking and emotionally impactful. Anita is not only a victim of workplace injustice and discrimination due to race and gender, but has her own unfortuna...

Omolola Ijeoma Ogunyemi: Jollof Rice and Other Revolutions 10.01.2025 51min

Send us Fan Mail In this collection of interconnected stories, we are introduced to four women: Solape, Remi, Nonso and Aisha whose lives trajectories are bound by friendship, loss and the business of life. Spanning diverse geographical locations and time period, this collection traverses the past and looks to the future. In an ode to globalisation and the rapidly shrinking nature of the world, the story begins in Nigeria and ends in the United States. Interestingly, each story explores...

Zibu Sithole: I Do ... Don't I? 20.12.2024 50min

Send us Fan Mail I Do… Don’t I? is the eagerly awaited sequel to the The Thing with Zola. In it there is a continuation of the love story between Zola and Mbali, traversing the unique location of Kigali and Johannesburg while navigating the complications of a long-distance relationship and the underlying question of commitment. Will they say I do? Zola's teenage sister adds to the drama as we encounter her in the midst of a cannon life event. Okuhle is not exempt fr...

Damilare Kuku: Only Big Bumbum Matters Tomorrow 18.10.2024 50min

Send us Fan Mail In Only Big Bum Bum Matters Tomorrow, Damilare Kuku introduces a protagonist, Témì with big plans for a drastic change to her appearance in the form of a BBL. In her debut novel, Damilare examines familial relationships, beauty standards and the quest for desirability in modern day Nigeria. Témì is a young university student, grappling with her body image all while navigating loss and complex family dynamics including her older sister’s sudden disappearance prio...

Damilare Kuku: Nearly All the Men in Lagos Are Mad 27.09.2024 1t 13min

Send us Fan Mail In a collection of 12 short stories, Damilare Kuku demonstrates the almost Sisyphean task that is navigating love, relationships and life in Lagos. Damilare deftly uses humour and wit to explore the difficult themes of love, loss, friendship and romance, often catching the reader unaware. As a testament to the universality of these stories, as reader you or someone you know may have encountered one of the mad men Damilare has written about. Of course the ...

Tessa Dooms and Lynsey Ebony Chutel: Coloured: How Classification Became Culture 13.09.2024 1t 13min

Send us Fan Mail Coloured as an ethnicity and racial demographic is intertwined with the creation of today’s South Africa. Yet often coloured communities are disdained as people with no clear heritage or culture – as not "black enough" or "white enough". Coloured by Tessa Dooms and Lynsey Ebony Chutel, challenges this notion and presents a different angle to that narrative. It delves into the history of coloured people as descendants of indigenous Africans and a people whose identity w...