Memoirs

Born White, Zulu Bred

A Memoir of a Third World Child

by GG Alcock

Description

Born White Zulu Bred is the story of a white child and his brother raised in poverty in a Zulu community in rural South Africa during the apartheid era. His extraordinary parents, Creina and Neil Alcock, gave up lives of comfort and privilege to live and work among the destitute people of Msinga, whose material and social well-being became their mission. But more than that, this is a story about life in South Africa today which, through GG’s unique perspective, explores the huge diversity of the country’s people – from tribal Zulu warriors to sophisticated urban black township entrepreneurs. A journey from the arid wastes of Msinga into the thriving informal economies of urban townships. GG’s view is that we do not live in a black and white world but in a world of contrast and diversity, one which he wants South Africans, and a world audience, to see for what it is without descending into racial and historical clichés. He takes us through the mazes of township marketplaces, shacks and crowded streets to reveal the proud and dignified world of township entrepreneurs who are transforming South Africa’s economy. This is the world that he moves in today as a successful businessman, still walking those spaces and celebrating the vibrant informal economies that are taking part in the Kasinomic Revolution. GG’s story is about being truly African, even as a white person, and it draws on the adventures, the cultural challenges, the informal spaces and the future possibilities of South Africa.

More Information

Author Biography

GG Alcock has been at times a shebeen owner, political activist, community worker and African adventurer. Fluent in Zulu and conversant in most South African ethnic languages, GG was the founder of Minanawe Marketing, a leading activations business in the township sector. He is a regular speaker on a range of topics – from business to motivational to trend talks on subjects including entrepreneurship, the informal market, diversity and culture, marketing communications to the mass market and the route to market strategies for the informal sector.

Trusted Partner
2024 Frankfurt Invitation Programme

Tracey McDonald Publishers

TMP, established in 2013, is a leading indie publishing house based in South Africa. In the 11 years of business, they have published 123 titles. Under the TMP imprint they publish non-fiction titles, written by people from Africa, or about Africa.

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Bibliographic Information

  • Publisher Tracey McDonald Publishers
  • Publication Date April 2023
  • Orginal LanguageEnglish
  • ISBN/Identifier 9781998958696
  • Publication Country or regionSouth Africa
  • FormatPaperback
  • ReadershipGeneral
  • Publish StatusPublished
  • Dimensions235x153 mm

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