History of South Africa: 1902 to the Present

South Africa’s history has been shaped by war, crises, and ruptures, and today the nation stands at another critical juncture. Thula Simpson’s book explores this tumultuous journey from the Second Anglo-Boer War to 2021, drawing from diaries, letters, oral testimonies, and diplomatic reports. Simpson takes readers through the battles, elections, repression, resistance, strikes, insurrections, massacres, crashes, and epidemics that have defined the country’s evolution.

The book traces South Africa’s transformation from a British colony to the Union, and from apartheid to democracy, spotlighting key figures like Jan Smuts, Nelson Mandela, Steve Biko, P.W. Botha, Thabo Mbeki, and Cyril Ramaphosa. Simpson provides in-depth accounts of pivotal moments, such as the 1922 Rand Revolt, the Defiance Campaign, Sharpeville, the Soweto uprising, and the Marikana massacre. He also examines the influence of international figures like Gandhi, Churchill, Castro, and Thatcher, as well as the impact of the World Wars, the armed struggle, and the Border War.

In documenting the post-apartheid transition, Simpson explores the phases of ANC leadership, from the optimism of the Rainbow Nation to the challenges of transformation, state capture, and the promise of the ‘New Dawn.’ Alongside political history, the book delves into the unifying and divisive role of sport, the country’s ongoing economic struggles, and the devastating toll of pandemics—from the Spanish flu to AIDS and Covid-19. Through this comprehensive narrative, Simpson offers a vivid portrait of South Africa’s complex and ongoing journey.