About the Series
Series Editors: Abebe Zegeye (Centre of Research and Development in Learning,
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia) and Beth le Roux (University of Pretoria)
This curated collection reflects on the past 30 years of a democratic South Africa and assesses the future opportunities and challenges. The series brings together key titles from the pioneering black-owned publisher Skotaville and one of South Africa’s foremost university presses, UNISA Press, in collaboration with Routledge, Taylor & Francis.
In 2004, UNISA Press published 14 books in a series entitled “Imagined South Africa” to celebrate ten years of democracy. The series chronicled the multiple ways in which South Africans of all colours and ideological persuasions had responded, either critically or creatively, to the numerous contradictions in ten years of democracy.
In the same spirit, in 2024, we are co-publishing 30 titles with UNISA Press and Skotaville. As former directors of UNISA Press and specialists in African publishing, the series editors envision the book series as an intervention in debates around South Africa 30 years since the dawn of democracy. The titles in this series contemplate the complexity of issues now and in the coming years. The series relaunches original monographs and edited collections from a range of disciplinary and interdisciplinary perspectives. The titles cover domestic, regional and global dimensions, reflecting on South Africa’s place in political, economic and socio-cultural systems.
The ’30 Years of Democracy in South Africa’ book series will be launched in Johannesburg, South Africa on Monday 4th November 2024 at South Africa Reflects: 30 Years of Democracy Colloquium.
About the Editors
Beth le Roux, Series Editor
Beth le Roux is a Professor and coordinator of Publishing Studies at the University of Pretoria. She was formerly employed in the scholarly publishing sector, most recently as Director of UNISA Press. She coordinates the Publishing Studies degrees, and supervises master’s and doctoral students. Her research focuses on the history of publishing and print culture in Southern Africa, and she coordinates the industry research for the Publishers’ Association of South Africa. She is a member of the Advisory Board for Wits University Press and an Honorary Member of the Academic and Non-Fiction Authors’ Association of South Africa.
Abebe Zegeye, Series Editor
Professor Abebe Zegeye holds the degree of DPhil from the University of Oxford (UK) and BA in economics, philosophy and sociology from Haverford College. He has previously thought at Yale University (USA), the University of California, the University of South Africa and CODESRIA (Senegal). Since 2014, he has been based in Ethiopia working as Vice President of Wollo University; Director, Global Engagement & Institutional Transformation, Woldia University; and director of Higher education, Ministry of Science and Higher Education. At present, he is the co-director of Cradle: Center for Research and Development in Learning in Africa.
About the Artwork and Artist
Blessing Ngobeni
Blessing Ngobeni is a fine artist (a visionary and philosopher) who creates abstract works of art with a variety of different objects. His artworks are a commentary on themes such as self-enrichment and the abuse of power.
Blessing Ngobeni
MIRRORED SOFT LIFE I, 2023
(Landscape above)
Mixed Media on Canvas
297 cm x 169 cm
Blessing Ngobeni
SITTING ON A TICKING TIME BOMB II, 2022
(Portrait above)
Acrylic & Collage on Canvas
166 cm x 81 cm