Local Authors Show Dominance over International Counterparts MyZA

Stieg Larsson, Walter Isaacson or Jodi Picoult might not like it but South African authors are just too hot to handle. Local writers are South Africans favorites and they currently hold the top spots of bestsellers according to Kalahari.com, the country’s leading online retailer.

Lolly Jackson: When Fantasy Becomes Reality, written by Sean Newman, Peter Piegl and Karyn Maughan and Killing Kebble by Mandy Wiener as well as the new Eight Days in September – The Removal of Thabo Mbeki by Frank Chikane have eclipsed international titles as the most sold out books in recent weeks on South Africa’s biggest online store for books and eBooks.

Walter Isaacson’s Steve Jobs: The Exclusive Biography (physical book), Girl with the dragon tattoo by the late Swedish author and journalist Stieg Larsson and Jodi Picoult’s Lone Wolf, are some of the international hits that feature on the list of the most popular books that are no match for local authors in terms of sales.

“We have had many international best sellers on our site but books by local authors remain the most in demand. Literature occupies a very important place in South Africa therefore more than just a patriotic gesture, we think that consumers tend to prefer local books over international ones because of the quality of the writing and the local relevance of the stories being told,” says Jaco Aucamp, category books manager at Kalahari.com.

“Eight Days in September is very popular at the moment. Our initial stock sold out quickly and we had to replenish fast. Everybody wants to get their hands on the country’s newest and hottest piece of writing and at this rate the book will sale an astonishing number of copies by the end of the year,” adds Aucamp.

Chikane’s book which tells of the eight-day period in September in which Thabo Mbeki was booted out of the presidency has been creating waves since its publication and has caused a strong reaction within the local political community.

“South Africa’s appetite for South African literature is perhaps confirmation for the expression that local is really lekker”, concludes Aucamp.

Below are the top 5 bestsellers of the past few weeks on Kalahari.com per format:

eBooks