Sihle Khumalo (South Africa)

Sihle Khumalo is an adventurous South African travel writer with a unique voice and an insatiable love for exploration.

Born in Nqutu, a small rural town in Kwazulu-Natal, he completed his matric at a boarding school in Pietermaritzburg before furthering his education at the then Natal Technikon (now Durban University of Technology) and Wits Business School.

In 2005, as part of his 30th birthday celebration, Khumalo decided to fulfil a childhood dream: to travel by public transport from Cape Town to Cairo. Dark Continent My Black Arse is his personal and hilarious account of the adventure that disproved his preconceptions of a dark and dangerous Africa. The book was a strikingly original account of a journey fraught with discomfort, mishap, ecstasy, disillusionment, discovery and astonishing human encounters.

Dark Continent My Black Arse was well-received, with Zakes Mda giving the following commendation: “This is just the book we have been thirsting for: travel writing by an African adventurer who explores and tries to explain his own continent ...” This inspiring story has also been endorsed by the likes of travel author Paul Theroux.

In 2009, Khumalo published Heart of Africa, in which he again impressed readers with his refreshing candour and sheer cheek. Heart of Africa followed his trek into Central Africa, travelling from Johannesburg to Kigali in Rwanda by public transport.

Khumalo is also a board member of ReadSA, a non-governmental organisation which aims to encourage young people to read. He currently works for the Anglo American’s Exploration Division.

Bibliography

Heart of Africa, Umuzi, 2009
Dark Continent My Black Arse, Umuzi, 2007