Tana Malinga

Celebrated author and doctor Kopano Matlwa launched her new novel, Bosadi, on 21st October at Hyde Park Corner, in a powerful and emotional event hosted by respected news anchor Cathy Mohlahlana.

Kopano, known for her thought-provoking books like Coconut and Period Pain, is also a medical doctor and public health specialist. A Rhodes Scholar who studied at Oxford, she has spent years working to improve lives through both medicine and writing. Her stories shine a light on the deep challenges South Africans face, especially women.

Her newest work, Bosadi, meaning “womanhood,” dives into what it means to be a woman in today’s South Africa. It follows women who fight to find hope and dignity in a society scarred by inequality, violence, and loss. The novel explores gender-based violence, poverty, grief, and social pressure with a voice that is both tender and fierce.

Kopano said she wrote Bosadi out of heartbreak and frustration about the violence she witnesses around her — as a doctor, as a woman, and as a citizen. She wanted readers to pause and feel the pain many women silently carry, to “sit with the problem,” as she puts it, and not turn away.

Buying Bosadi is more than just owning a book — it’s supporting a vital conversation South Africa urgently needs. Each copy carries the stories of women whose voices have long been ignored. Reading it is a way of honouring their experiences, reflecting on our society, and joining a movement for change.

Published by Jacana Media, Bosadi will be available in stores and online at the end of October — a book every South African should read and share.