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A hilarious compendium of iconic South Africanness – Hagen Engler’s new book Black Twitter, Blitz and a Boerie as Long as Your Leg

As they tend to say on Idols shortly before eviscerating some poor aspiring singer’s performance, this comes from a place of love.

This book is a celebration of South Africa’s iconic people, places, situations, songs, character traits and consumer products … every part of our culture that makes us happy and proud to be South Africans.

Add a twist of humour to South African nostalgia with Hagen Engler’s latest offering. Black Twitter, Blitz and a Boerie as Long as Your Leg is a lighthearted, humorous read of multiple entries that can be dipped into at will. Optimistic, topical and definitely tongue-in-cheek, this book could easily be that last-minute gift that you pick up at the airport before you head back to the parental home for the holidays. Not too politically edgy – so as not to offend any sensitive elephants in the room – it draws on the great many things that South Africans do have in common, and that will give us all a moment to agree on something, for a change.

The book aims to list and celebrate the tiny, subtle aspects of South African life that we all experience but don’t always notice. Engler looks at icons of our shared South Africanness but drills a little deeper to make them more specific, a bit more ridiculous, a bit funnier, and hopefully to induce an excited exclamation from the reader of, ‘Yoh! That’s so true!’

Look out for the following:

  • A fake pair of Ray-Bans from the robots
  • Your skaftien of last night’s stew
  • Getting a proper vuvuzela blast going
  • The passion and the glory of the Soweto Derby
  • The hair salon that has it all
  • Proof of address. Not more than three months old!
  • Counting the black faces in any group photo
  • The edgy hairstyles of Afrikaans ladies of a certain age
  • Some construction workers on the back of a bakkie, judging you
  • Building a 10-year relationship with the guy at your robots
  • The way you like your Oros
  • A room divider on the far side of a room
  • Sunlight Soap. The green bar
  • Chicken Licken Hotwings
  • Black Twitter on a Sunday night
  • Zodwa Wabantu’s vosho
  • Khabonina Qubeka’s hamstrings

About the author

Hagen Engler has co-written, ghost-written and edited more than 12 books. He can peel a naartjie in one go, survive an extra-hot bunny chow, and drink all day while the Proteas occupy the crease at the Wanderers. So you see now.

Categories Non-fiction South Africa

Tags Black Twitter Blitz and a Boerie as Long as Your Leg Hagen Engler Jacana Media New books New releases


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