There are few better ways to relax between game drives, meals, and a massage than with a glass of something cold and a gripping or informative read.
Hundreds of fiction and non-fiction works about South Africa, and even safaris, serve as the perfect companion to time in the bush, many of which we’ve located in your villas and on game drive vehicles for your reading pleasure.
If you want to come extra prepared for downtime reading by the pool or in your villa’s private lounge, or to reflect on your time at Cheetah Plains when you’re already back home, these are some books we think pair perfectly with a South African safari.
1. Roberts Bird Guide by Grey Davies, Hugh Chittenden, and Ingrid Weiersbye
The Roberts Bird Guide is one of the country’s most iconic and highly regarded bird books. It was first conceptualised in 1935 when few resources on South Africa’s prolific birdlife existed. Five years later, in June 1940, author Austin Roberts and illustrator Norman CK Lighton released what quickly became, and has remained, one of the most popular books of its kind in South Africa.
Roberts, as it is commonly called, has seen several revisions and updates since then, and today, it covers nearly 1,000 species found in southern Africa, including all commonly found in and around Cheetah Plains.
Roberts Bird Guide is a staple in most guides’ collections, and you’ll find copies to dip into on your safari vehicle at Cheetah Plains.
2. Stuarts’ Field Guide to the Larger Mammals of Africa by Chris and Mathilde Stuart
Another reference book you’ll find onboard your Cheetah Plains safari vehicle, and on most guides’ bookshelves, is the Stuarts’ Field Guide to the Larger Mammals of Africa.
This celebrated book mixes fascinating factoids (Of the more than 5,500 mammal species worldwide, at least 1,200 occur in Africa, for example) and comprehensive, digestible details ((The name giraffe is derived from the Arabic word “xirapha”, which translates as ‘one who walks swiftly) on the continents more visible creatures — many of which you’ll encounter while on safari in the Sabi Sand Nature Reserve.
Although your guide is always on hand to answer questions about any wildlife you spot while on a drive, paging through a mammal book like this is a great way to expand your knowledge and fill time on or between game drives.
3. The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay
This work of fiction by South African-born author Bryce Courtenay, first published in 1989 as South Africa was on the cusp of democracy, paints an enthralling and emotive picture of the country during its deeply troubled 1930s and 1940s. The Power of One tells the story of young Peekay, who grew up in a divided South Africa yet finds the strength to embark on a truly compelling journey.
4. Jock of the Bushveld by Percy Fitzpatrick
Jock of the Bushveld is a true story written by South African author Sir James Percy Fitzpatrick. Although first published in 1907, in a context long since passed, the book still stands as a window into one perspective of life and travel within South Africa.
Along a similar vein to John Steinbeck’s Travels with Charley, Jock of the Bushveld tells of Fitzpatrick’s travels with his Staffordshire Bull Terrier named Jock during the late 1800s. At the time, Fitzpatrick worked several jobs that saw him living a life of intrigue and adventure, and this book, which details many of his experiences, remains a famous piece of South African literature that resonates particularly strongly with dog lovers.
5. A Game Ranger Remembers by Bruce Bryden
In what feels like a collection of fireside tales, A Game Ranger Remembers offers one of the most engaging reads about the joy, hardship, and thrills of living in the wild. Bryden lived and worked in South Africa’s Kruger National Park, adjoining the Sabi Sand Nature Reserve, for more than 27 years – and the guides and rangers working at Cheetah Plains will have many stories similar to those he shares in A Game Ranger Remembers.
A Game Ranger Remembers is an ideal safari holiday read in subject matter and style – this light, entertaining book is easy to dip in and out of between your other activities and relates to the experience unfolding around you.
6. Wines of the New South Africa: Tradition and Revolution by Tim James
Wines of the New South Africa: Tradition and Revolution is one of our sommelier, Mariska WitBooi’s favourite. It offers a comprehensive look at South Africa’s rapidly evolving wine industry, from its early beginnings to its present day achievements. Wine expert Tim James traces South Africa’s viticultural journey from its colonial roots to a post-apartheid renaissance. In doing so, he offers fascinating insight on how winemakers, employing ample innovation and a renewed focus on terroir, have reinvigorated the country’s wines. This, plus insights from winemakers, fascinating technical detail, and engaging storytelling make this essential reading for anyone interested in the country’s wines. Feel free to ask her at your next tasting or pairing about it.
7. Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
South African comedian and one-time host of the US’s Daily Show penned a compelling memoir about growing up in South Africa towards the end of Apartheid. If you’re looking for an easy-reading but hard-hitting take on the country, its people, and its beautiful complexities, that’ll likely have you both laughing and crying, then Born a Crime is it.
8. The buck that buries it Poo by Quinton Coetzee
In The Buck That Buries Its Poo, naturalist Quinton Coetzee answers some of the world’s most intriguing wildlife questions – and many you may have while on safari at Cheetah Plains. In six parts dedicated to mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians, fish, arthropods, and plants, Coetzee dispels common wildlife myths and sheds new light on creatures many may think they already know. Additional chapters, “What’s the difference between …”, and one dedicated to collective nouns for animals, add colour to any holiday in the South African bush, regardless of age.
9. The Elephant Whisperer by Lawrence Anthony
Lawrence Anthony’s The Elephant Whisperer is considered essential safari reading by many visitors to South Africa. This heartwarming book takes readers into a herd of wild elephants in South Africa’s KwaZulu Natal, with whom conservationist Anthony developed a profound relationship. By weaving together themes of conservation, animal behaviour, and the importance of wildlife conservation, the Elephant Whisperer will leave you feeling moved and inspired about the wilderness surrounding you while in Cheetah Plains.
10. Spirit of Africa by Scott Ramsay
Scott Ramsay has spent 20 years writing about and photographing Africa’s wildest places, and his new book, Spirit of Africa, showcases some of his favourite images taken on the continent. The book is hefty, so likely a better before or after travel read, but it’s an essential tonic or gift for anyone who has felt the unrelenting pull of the African continent.
11. The Safari Series by Ian Pletzer
Ian Pletzer’s two delightful children’s books, Ally the Aardvark and the Shy Five and Henry the Hyena Loses his Giggle, make up his hit Safari Series – a perfect read for children on safari. These are more than trivial reads, though – they share delightful messages of social and self-acceptance, delivered by wildlife characters you’re likely to encounter while on safari in South Africa.
12. Blue Sultan by Conor Mccreedy
Prolific artist Conor Mccreedy, whose art you can find at Cheetah Plains, takes readers on a fascinating journey in his coffee table book Blue Sultan. The book is a tribute to his South African childhood and draws readers into a wild adventure that attempts to unravel “the unknown power of the natural world”. Blue Sultan is available for purchase at the Cheetah Plains boutique, with proceeds going towards the Cheetah Plains Foundation.
13. Why Should I Hesitate by William Kentridge
Iconic South African artist William Kentridge’s collectable box set, Why Should I Hesitate, is an essential addition to any art collector’s bookshelf. The set is a compelling exploration of Kentridge’s work, and includes two hardcover volumes covering four decades of his acclaimed career across various mediums. As with Kentridge’s artwork, the book explores themes of history and memory within a South African context, making it an idea accompaniment to your Cheetah Plains experience.
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