Buckle up for a tour of South Africa – your guide the inimitable Sihle Khumalo. Born in South Africa, and having lived here for almost fifty years, Khumalo reflects on the past and ponders the future of this captivating yet complex country. He delves into the history of the names given to our towns and cities (from Graaff-Reinet to Schweizer-Reneke to Zastron) and in the process raises issues we might not have interrogated fully.

This is a thought-provoking account by a South African who asks uncomfortable questions and forces his compatriots to contemplate what the future of this country (or cowntry) might hold. Why ‘cowntry’, Sihle?

Consider the shady characters who’ve been milking this piece of land for centuries. And the fact that some politicians mispronounce the word ‘country’. But who knows? Maybe it is not mispronunciation – perhaps they’re giving us a message: the people in power are milking this country and it’s all just a game…

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sihle Khumalo is the best-selling author of Dark Continent My Black Arse, Heart of Africa and Almost Sleeping My Way to Timbuktu. Shorter pieces by him appeared in uMama and Cheesecutters and Gymslips, and he has contributed to a number of travel magazines. In 2011, Sihle was selected as one of Destiny magazine’s Top 40 South Africans under the age of 40 who are destined for greatness. Born in Nqutu in rural KwaZulu-Natal, he was educated at Natal Technikon (now Durban University of Technology) and the Wits Business School. He is married and has two children. He currently lives in Johannesburg where he works for a property development company.

Milk The Beloved Country is published by Penguin Random House South Africa